For over two years, the same elderly man visited the same Arby's location every day. The employees got to know him and his order well, but they still had a lot of questions about the mysterious man. He always came in alone and never changed his order.
So the manager decided to inquire about his life once and for all. And surely enough, when he opened up everyone in the restaurant wanted to know more.
His Name Was Doug Parker
Doug Parker came in to Arby's for lunch every single day. The 97-year-old veteran preferred the same table too, the one near the entrance with a view outside. Christina, the manager of the Arby's location, always noticed details around the store and she quickly came to know Doug's order and where he liked to sit, but that didn't mean that she wasn't curious about the rest of his life.
They Welcomed Him Warmly
Even the other staff at Arby's knew Doug and affectionately called him "Mr. Doug." They were very polite to the older man and Christina even noted, “He comes in with a walker, as soon as we see him come to the doors, we try [to] grab the doors for him.” Surely this kindness wasn't lost on Doug, who seemed very happy with his lunch order every day.
Always Alone
One day when Doug walked in, Christina's curiosity overcame her. She knew that today would be the day when she finally asked Doug about his life. And so she did, politely questioning what Doug had to do for the rest of the day.
But Doug didn't offer up any answers about the rest of his life to the manager, continuing to eat his sandwich as she questioned him. And with a tip of his hat, he walked out the door when he was done eating, as he always did.
The Servers Had Plenty of Questions
Christina wasn't even the only employee at Arby's who had questions about the old man's life. They knew that he lived in a retirement home and had no family to speak of, but they wondered what else he did with his time and energy.
The one thing they knew about him was that he ordered the same meal every single time he visited the restaurant, but why?
He Kept His Order Regular
For those wondering, Doug's regular order was a beef slider with Swiss cheese and a Coca-Cola with no ice. That simple meal was enough to appease Doug's appetite day in and day out, but it only lead to more questions for the staff. So once again, Christina offered a question to Doug. "What keeps you coming back to this Arby's every day?" she asked him.
He Had Some Health Issues
Doug's answer was simple like his order. He just said, "This is the only place in town that I can get a sandwich that doesn't upset my stomach." This made Christina sad for Doug, because she had no idea that he had health issues that stopped him from eating other food. No wonder he kept ordering the same sandwich every day.
Regulars Are Like Family Here
When Christina heard this information, she didn't keep it to herself. She told the other people at the location how important their restaurant was to Doug. Another employee named Travis Coye said, “He’s expressed to us multiple times that we’re like his family, and we feel that ourselves so we try to make him feel welcome in any way possible.”
They Never Pried
From that day forward, Christina made sure that new employees knew of Doug's dietary needs and made sure that he never received anything new that would upset his stomach. But soon enough, another employee did add something to his meal that wasn't normally there, and it would completely slip past Christina's watchful eye.
The Only Restaurant He Frequented
The reason that Doug chose Arby's over other restaurants was his health. So the employees there made sure that he wouldn't have to worry about getting sick when he chose their food. After all, he was a veteran and deserved to be treated with respect. But that didn't mean that people didn't make mistakes, and sure enough, something made it onto Doug's sandwich that wasn't usually there.
A Change of Routine
Ethel Fishman, another regular at the Arby's location, was the only one watching the employee who took Doug's order. Even though the employee thought that he was being secretive, Ethel wanted to make sure that Doug was well taken care of and sure enough, something unusual went into his order that made Ethel stunned.
No One Was Watching
The employee prepping Doug's meal looked around before he started working, to see if he was being watched, but he failed to notice Ethel behind him. So the customer took out her phone to take a photo of the deed for everyone to see. She never could've guessed when she took that photo just how many people around the world would see it.
She Took a Secret Photo
Ethel made sure that the flash on her camera was off and took several photos of the employee in quick succession. She caught the employee placing something strange into Doug's bag of food, but it was hard to tell exactly what was in his hand. But the truth would soon come to light and it would cause people around the world to be shocked.
He Always Checked His Bag
Doug checked the food in his bag every time he received his order, and this time was no different. As he waited patiently for his food, he wondered in the back of his mind why his order was taking so long to prepare. But soon enough, his food came out and Ethel noticed a smile on the employee's face as he watched Doug check his food.
A Little Something Extra
Doug took his food over to his table as he always did, but this time, something strange was going on. The employee who handed Doug his bag watched him start eating and didn't take his eyes off of him for a second. Reporters soon started to come into the restaurant that day, but Doug had still not noticed anything unusual until he picked up his bag and heard something rattling around inside.
She Decided To Share the Moment With the World
Then Doug could be heard saying something that made Ethel take her phone out to take another picture. With tears in her eyes, she shared the picture on Facebook. Before she was even done eating, the photo had been shared by dozens of people, who would make this previously unknown Arby's location famous. But what had the employee done?
He Pulled Out the Surprise
When Doug pulled the object out of his Arby's bag, he took notice that there were many pairs of eyes on him. The first thought that crossed his mind was that his must be some kind of joke the younger employees were pulling on him. But soon enough, he saw what was included in the bag, and it was no joke. It was an act of generosity that made him exclaim, "I never know if I’ll be here the next day, but thank you so much for this!"
Everyone Chipped In
The crew of the Arby's location had all chipped in to purchase a $200 Arby's gift card with their own money for Mr. Doug, so he could save some money on his daily expense. And word of this gift and the Facebook post about it soon got to Arby's headquarters and they immediately requested contact with the location's manager Christina about the out of the ordinary gesture.
A Step Above
Christina's words to the company were direct and to the point and she didn't care if she was reprimanded for the act of kindness. She said, “We try to go above and beyond for him because he needs the extra love." But there was even more love in store for Doug.
The Arby's company decided that Doug should never have to pay out of pocket for his daily sandwich and drink again, so they gifted him a lifetime supply of food from the chain. He received the news the next time he came to the restaurant and his reaction was priceless...
Shock And Awe
Christina, the manager, noted that the old man was "absolutely speechless" when he arrived the next day. He was even gifted corporate goodies like an Arby's hat and stylish jacket. But when he was asked about the display of kindness from the employees at his local Arby's, he wasn't speechless any longer.
Everyone Was In On It
Doug explained to local reporters that “Anything I need, they give it to me,” referring not only to his regular table, which they always kept ready for him, but also holding open the door and politely welcoming him into the shop each day. He also mentioned that the food can't be beat, saying, “It’s just so satisfying.” And now that his visits are common knowledge, he truly gets the VIP treatment.
Always Ready
From that day forward, the employees had Doug's meal ready for him at his table as soon as he reached the restaurant so he wouldn't have to wait in line any more. They knew his order by heart, so it was no problem to have it fresh and ready each day. The gift card and lifetime supply of food meant that Doug would never have a problem getting his food, even if he couldn't go to the restaurant to get it himself.
One Of a Kind Order
Doug even got the personal phone numbers of his local Arby's employees, so if he was ever feeling unwell they could bring his food directly to him. But this wasn't the end of the community's kindness towards Doug. In fact, the generosity had just begun when word was spread about the incredible gift that was given to him.
The News Continued to Travel
All of the employees were happy to hear that the company granted him free food for life, and when other people in the community caught wind of this, they too wanted to help out the veteran. A local optometrist was another person who wanted to extend his kindness to Doug and help him out with another situation he had been going through.
The Community Kept the Gift Going
When the local optometrist heard about Doug, he wanted to help the old man out with his vision because he saw him wearing an outdated pair of glasses in the news report. So the doctor gave Doug a free checkup and found out that he needed an update on his prescription glasses. To help out further, he gave Doug the pair of glasses he needed completely free of charge.
Lifetime Supply
The manager at the Arby's location, Christina, was so happy to hear that more people were coming to Doug's aid. He was a veteran after all, so he had already given up part of his life to help others.
“Let’s give him Arby’s for life!” She told the reporters when they first came in to the restaurant. “I have no problem with that.” And no one else had a problem giving Doug more gifts that he graciously received.
"Truly An Honor"
Arby's has even been recognized by the veteran organization Run for the Wall for their good deeds towards Doug, and Christina told the world that it was her honor.
“It was truly an honor,” she said. “There are so many amazing stories about our veterans and I thank them for everything they’ve done for us!”
A Viral Moment
The event went viral partly due to the actions of Daniel Maloney, who was present during the lunch rush that made Doug famous. He was dining with his mother at that Arby's location and shared the photo that was seen around the world. He just couldn't help but share the heartwarming moment with all of the people who hadn't had the chance to see it firsthand.
He's Always Welcome
Daniel mentioned that the Arby's staff told Doug, “We really enjoy you here and we always want you to come back," when presenting him with his gift. “There are so many good people in the world,” Maloney wrote on Facebook. “These employees selflessly put in their own money, so an elderly man could come in and enjoy dinner on what he never knew could be his last.”
Shared Around the World
Daniel's post was ultimately what made the kind moment go viral, which spurred television interviews, more gifts, and plenty of attention for the small town Arby's location. The internet can be a tough place to get support for even the most just of causes, but it was obvious that everyone who saw the post knew that Doug deserved his gift.
A Ton of Comments
“This makes me happy. We should be doing more for our veterans,” said Facebook user Nancy Tucker. Ofelia Lacaba added, “Wow! Love this news!! Thank you, Mr. Doug, for your service, and thank you, Arby’s, for what you did and are still are doing for him! God bless you all!”
Another Facebook user wrote: “I love EVERYTHING about this!! A man that has served his country well, now strangers are making his life a little easier. This is how everyone should treat each other. Why not? If we all truly cared for each other, we’d be a MUCH happier country. Compassion.”