[mk_stjames]

They literally have a locations information site, which has a map, and shows if the locations are open or closed. So, they already have a web team capable of doing this because they already have it.

https://locations.wafflehouse.com/

What this person did was summarize this to a single map with red dots and a "% closed" indicator at the top. And tying it to the connotation that it is due to storms/natural disasters with the "index" moniker. Not something Waffle House really needed.

[jasonjayr]

.. maybe not need, but it could have been an easy win for for a viral marketing campaign, as well as feeding that "lore" of the Waffle House index.