The Day Andy’s Cow Patty Palace Almost Closed…

What a Power Outage, a Portable Generator, and a Small-Town Network Taught Me About Business Resilience

I’ve written before about how growing up in my dad’s diner shaped the way I think about work, leadership, and resilience. Andy’s Cow Patty Palace wasn’t just a place to eat; it was where the town gathered for breakfast and lunch, six days a week. Farmers, police officers, business owners, city workers, and regulars filled the booths, swapping news, favors, and stories along with plates of biscuits and gravy and a hot cup of coffee.

The wheeling and dealing that happened across the counter was impressive. By trading coffee, pancakes, and his one-pound hamburger, “The Wrangler”, my dad bartered his way into TVs, microwaves and our first VHS player. Long before I had the language for it, I learned a powerful lesson: when you truly know your community and understand what people need, you build something far more resilient than a business. You build trust.

That lesson became very real in the early 1980s, when a major power outage hit our town. My dad didn’t have a generator, so with no electricity, the diner had to close until power was restored. Closed doors meant no income for us, but it also meant something else: our regulars lost their daily gathering place.

For Jimmy, that simply wasn’t acceptable.

Jimmy was what we called a “twice-a-dayer”; he came in for breakfast and lunch every single day, six days a week. He needed his pancakes! So Jimmy did what people often do in close-knit communities: he leaned on relationships. He made a trade with another customer and showed up with a portable generator so my dad could power the grill.

In exchange, Jimmy earned free coffee for life.

Soon, the hum of the generator blended into my dad’s favorite 1950s rockabilly tunes. The smell of fresh coffee and pancakes filled the diner again. Most people never even knew how close the diner had come to closing its doors.

What stayed with me wasn’t just the creative solution; it was how natural it all felt. There was no panic. No formal plan. Just people who knew each other, understood what was at stake, and figured out a way forward together.

This past weekend’s winter storms impacted millions of people and businesses, with many still without power. Watching that unfold, I found myself reflecting, again, on how much resilience depends on knowing your community, staying informed, and being connected before something goes wrong.

The Business Lesson Behind the Pancakes

When we talk about planning for disruptions, we often focus on systems, insurance, and contingency plans. Those things matter, but they’re only part of the story.

My dad didn’t solve the power outage alone. Jimmy didn’t either. The solution came from relationships, awareness, and people paying attention to what others needed.

For businesses of any size, the real question isn’t just What happens if something goes wrong? It’s Who do we know, and how do we stay connected when it does?

An Actionable Checklist: Assessing Needs and Leveraging Your Network

Whether you run a small business or manage operations for a large organization, here’s a practical way to apply this lesson before the next disruption:

Know Your Community

☐ I know my regular customers, neighboring businesses, vendors, and partners.

☐ I understand who depends on my business and who my business depends on.

☐ I have relationships in my community that go beyond transactions.

Stay Connected to Local Information

☐ I know who my local emergency management or public safety office is.

☐ I am signed up for emergency alerts for my business and home location.

☐ My staff and family are also signed up for local alerts and notifications.

☐ My staff and family have backup ways to communicate if normal channels are unavailable.

Pay Attention to What’s Happening Locally

☐ I monitor local news and official alerts.

☐ I understand the most common disruptions in my area.

☐ I consider how local issues could impact my operations.

Think About Simple Workarounds

☐ I’ve thought about how my business could operate in a limited or modified way.

☐ I know the minimum needed to keep some level of service going.

☐ I’m open to temporary, creative solutions during disruptions.

Build Goodwill Before You Need It

☐ I support other local businesses and community efforts.

☐ I invest in relationships during calm times.

☐ I recognize that trust and goodwill matter in a crisis.

Talk About Disruptions Before They Happen

☐ I ask “what if” questions when things are calm.

☐ My team feels comfortable sharing ideas and concerns.

☐ Flexibility and problem-solving are part of our culture.

Resilience Is About People

What I learned from Jimmy wasn’t about power or equipment. It was about paying attention, knowing who could help, and being willing to ask for that help.

When a disruption hits, plans and tools matter. But relationships, awareness, and community often determine whether a business shuts down completely or keeps the doors open.

Sometimes resilience looks like a portable generator, a plate of pancakes, and a network of people who know each other well enough to step in when it matters most.