It was a dark and stormy night when Robert Rena, his wife Sierra and their two children entered Highway 55 in Pell City. They had fled their home in Naples, Florida, on Friday, Sept. 8 ahead of Hurricane Irma, which was on a collision course with their community. 

St. Clair County was under a Tropical Storm Warning, rain had been coming down in torrents all day, schools were closed, the wind was battering trees and power lines but store manager Matt Stowell, server Karmen, and cook Crow were still working at Highway 55 despite the weather and the slow trickle of customers throughout the day.

“We weren’t busy during the day, and I wondered why we were even here,” said Manager Matt Stowell, who moved to Pell City and became the manager of Highway 55 in June. “But we needed to be here for them.”

The Renas came through the doors at 8:30 p.m. near closing time and were the only customers in the restaurant. 

“We were waiting on news of our home,” Robert Rena said. “They (employees) heard about our stay and the manager came and introduced himself. They really made us feel better about our situation.”

Despite the slow business day, Stowell would not let the family pay for their meal, making it “on the house.” Their server, Karmen, played with their 2-year old child to allow the family to eat and keep him occupied. 

With their home being in the direct path of Hurricane Irma, the family was unsure if they would have a home to return to or in what condition their belongings would be. The Rena’s stayed a week in Lincoln, Pell City and surrounding areas and made the best of the situation, visiting Noccalula Falls, Talladega National Forest, Logan Martin Lake and other activities to keep their two children entertained. 

“As soon as we recover from this, we’ll come back for a vacation. Everyone is super nice. It has been an extreme eye-opener. People are legitimately happy to converse and take time with you,” Rena said. 

Before heading back home to Naples, the Rena family stopped by Highway 55 again to eat and visit their newfound friends. This time, the manager and employees joined together to purchase two cases of water, snacks, and a card for the family. The Rena’s learned their community in Naples was without electricity and under a water use restriction because of potential contamination from flooding and was “not out of the woods yet.”

“I grew up in Massachusetts and moved to Florida in 2008,” Robert Rena said. “I didn’t get what ‘southern hospitality’ was until I came here.”

Relief efforts are still underway for Hurricane Harvey and Irma, with local groups collecting supplies and sending volunteers to help with recovery efforts.