All schools in Upshur County will close at 1 p.m. today. All B-UHS sporting events today are canceled.

A.F. Wendling’s Food Service hosts Employee Appreciation Day to thank staff for their tireless work throughout the pandemic

A.F. Wendling's employees enjoy some much-deserved downtime during an employee appreciation event that took place Thursday afternoon. / Photo courtesy Scott Buchanan

BUCKHANNON – A.F. Wendling’s Food Service recently organized an Employee Appreciation Day to thank them for their work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Employee Appreciation Day took place Thursday, May 21 with numerous local food vendors attending to reward the Wendling’s staff, including Zul’s and Jaws BBQ.

Amanda Woody, human resources and safety director for A.F. Wendling’s Food Service, said they wanted to show their staff how much they appreciated their work during the pandemic.

“Our employees have worked through this whole pandemic; we did not shut down,” Woody said. “They’ve worked really hard; they’ve made a lot of sacrifices. They’ve came to work every day and served our company and served the community, so we wanted to do something special for them.”

She said their inspiration to invite the vendors came from the canceled Strawberry Festival.

“Strawberry Festival didn’t happen so we were like, ‘What do you like about Strawberry Festival weekend?’ The large majority said, ‘the food trucks, going downtown, getting food, hanging out,’ and I was like, let’s try to do that here,” Woody said. “Let’s see if we can do that on a smaller scale and just enjoy ourselves.”

Scott Buchanan, marketing coordinator for A.F. Wendling’s Food Service, said he hoped the event would help undo some of the stress from operating during the pandemic.

“We wanted to give people something that feels a little bit more like normal,” Buchanan said. “We’re an essential business, we’ve been here from day one, and we’re still here, we’re still open, we’re still serving our customers and our community as best we can, so that doesn’t come without some tradeoffs, and we’re trying to try to help people feel just a little bit better.”

Outside of A.F. Wendling’s Food Service on Employee Appreciation Day.

Woody said the closure of businesses and adjusting to rules of quarantine was an initial shock, but they adapted.

“It was a shock at first – we serve mostly restaurants and restaurants were closed, but we have made changes very quickly with who we serve and how we serve them, and it’s really worked out,” Woody said. “This company is innovative, so we put a lot of new ideas out there and started some new things, and I think it’s worked out pretty well.”

Buchanan said some of those changes included adding online ordering capabilities and curbside pickup.

“Some of this stuff is still here to stay, so we have to maintain that flexibility because there are still opportunities out there and ways that we can help customers who are out there who may be a customer of ours already, or maybe they aren’t our customers yet, but maybe they can benefit from a service that we provide,” Buchanan said.
They’ve also implemented a 12-person maximum rule in the market, barriers in front of the cashiers and they have installed hand sanitizer stations.

“One of the things that we’ve seen is we’ve added a lot of produce items over time as we have things available, so one day we may have asparagus, another we will have strawberries, things like that, but as we are stocking more items than we normally would, I think that we’re listening to our customer base,” Buchanan said.

Share this story:

RECENT Stories

Five West Virginia Wesleyan College graduates recognized as outstanding seniors

Five West Virginia Wesleyan College graduates were honored as Outstanding Seniors for exemplary academic achievement, leadership, and community involvement during the Academic and Leadership Awards Ceremony.

David Robert Asson Jr.

David Robert Asson, Jr., 81, a devoted family man, Navy veteran, and active community volunteer in multiple states, passed away in West Virginia, leaving behind a legacy of service and cherished relationships.

Mother arrested for child neglect after police find wanted man, drugs in home

Latachia A. Weese, 30, was arrested and charged with felony child neglect after allegedly admitting to being high while caring for her two young children in a residence containing drugs and firearms.

Buckhannon man arrested for allegedly choking his mother

Timothy A. Tenney, 37, of Buckhannon, was arrested and charged with felony strangulation and misdemeanor domestic battery after allegedly attacking and choking his mother.

Edna Karickhoff

Edna Karickhoff, 91, a homemaker and member of Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church, died May 19, 2025, and is survived by her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren; funeral services are Thursday.

Strawberry Festival parade showcases power of music to connect communities — and cultures

A musical exchange between Bridgeport High School and Carmen Southeast High brought Appalachian and Latin rhythms — and award-winning performances — to the West Virginia Strawberry Festival, fostering cross-cultural friendships and greater musical understanding among students.

Buckhannon-Upshur’s mountain bike trails see major growth thanks to dedicated volunteers

Thanks to the volunteer-driven Upshur County Trails group, Buckhannon-Upshur’s mountain bike trail system has expanded to about 10 miles, supporting biking, hiking, and community events while fostering local partnerships and youth engagement.

WVWC Student Senate names faculty, staff members of the year

The West Virginia Wesleyan College Student Senate honored Dr. Alexis de Coning and Amy Rogosky as Faculty and Staff Members of the Year for their exceptional dedication to students and the campus community.

Appalachian Fly Fishing Festival returns to Thomas from May 30 – June 1

The Appalachian Fly Fishing Festival returns to Thomas, WV, May 30–June 1, offering expanded clinics, vendors, competitions, family activities, and community gatherings for anglers of all ages and skill levels.

This week’s Hank Ellis All-Stars: Jaxon Spratt and Rylen Carlyle

Jaxon Spratt, a standout baseball catcher, and Rylen Carlyle, a talented track athlete, were named this week’s Hank Ellis All-Stars for their performances in regional competition for Buckhannon-Upshur.
BUHS Golf Feature Image

Parker and Westfall to represent B-U in North-South All-Star Golf Tournament

Buckhannon-Upshur seniors Parker Lockwood and Jevon Westfall will represent the North Bears in the second annual North-South All-Star Golf Tournament at Little Creek Golf Course, joining seven other top high school golfers.

Buckhannon Banter: Get the local lowdown for May 20, 2025

Buckhannon residents can look forward to the Jack Barker Memorial Race & Fun Paddle, school art show reception, FFA greenhouse sale, and a community book swap event at The Yellow Door.