McDonald's mayhem

As winds began to pick up in Amherst, New York, last week, a slight snowfall turned quickly into a dangerous blizzard. 

With hurricane-force winds at over 40 mph and six feet of snow piling up around town, it was too dangerous to drive, leaving many residents – like McDonald's employees Jeffrey Spangler, Kristin Kosha, and Amanda Kendall – unexpectedly stranded.

Jeffrey, Kristin, and Amanda were at work under the golden arches when the storm began to pick up, and they knew it would be too dangerous for them to drive home at the end of their shifts. 

The trio made the executive decision to hunker down and wait out the storm inside the restaurant – and they opened their doors to others in the meantime. 

• “We accepted the fact that we weren’t going home, so we might as well open up,” said Kristin to WKBW 7 News Buffalo. “We figured someone might need some help.”
• They expected anywhere around 10 people to show up. But you have to know how these stories go by now...

10 people was quite an underestimation. Stranded New Yorkers began flocking to the fast-food chain. And before long, the trio was hosting more than 50 people – with more on the way. From babies to the elderly to four-legged friends, Kristin, Jeffrey, and Amanda made room for anyone who needed it. 

🍟 Would you like fries with that?... The group soon realized they were in for the weekend and got to cooking, making hot chocolate and food for everyone inside. "[We made] hot chocolates," Kristin shared. "Saturday we had the Bills game on. They chatted amongst themselves, mingled and we kept them fed."

As the storm continued to rage, the trio's McDonald's became an unlikely safe-haven within the town. Police officers and emergency responders started dropping off anyone in need of a warm place to stay. 

• “You don’t really think about it at the time,” said Kristin of the act of kindness.. “It’s just common sense. You do what you have to do. You have a warm building and no one is in it…why would you not open it up?”