BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – One of the casualties of last January’s tornadoes is being leveled. Demolition crews tore down the “Thomas Drive Waffle and Omelet House” on Thursday.

The landmark business, located on the curve of Thomas Drive, was destroyed when an f-3 tornado hit it on January 9th, 2024. The family-owned business was open seven days a week, 364 days a year for 52 years.

BDS introduces a new employee ‘fur’ school safety

Val Padgett and his father built the shop. Val worked there as a teenager and eventually took over as owner. His family says seeing the waffle and omelet house officially go is bittersweet.

“I have heard so many wonderful generation decades of stories of family members coming and joining each other just over coffee and breakfast. It’s a sad moment originally, but of course it’s more exciting than anything. This is going to be a wonderful place for our future in our community, so it’ll be great,” Val’s daughter Rosemary Byrd-Cooper said.

The demolition should be complete by Friday. Byrd-Cooper says the family does not yet have any plans for the property.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to mypanhandle.com.