A Regular
Over the last two-and-a-half years, Arby’s had a regular who would waltz in every day like clockwork. She had noticed him ever since she had worked as the manager there, why was he always alone?
She was curious as to why he came into the same restaurant every day and sat down to eat. What he told her had everyone getting out their checkbooks.
Doug Parker
Without fail, Doug Parker would always arrive for lunch. The 97-year-old veteran comes into the Arby’s for the exact same meal at the same seat he always sits in.
Christina liked to get to know her regulars. But she was also so curious as to why Doug did what he did every day.
Welcome Customer
There are lots of people that don’t exactly like the food that Arby’s has to offer. But Doug, on the other hand, would order the same meal every day and wolf it down.
The staff affectionately called him Mr. Doug and Christina, the manager at Arby’s, said: “He comes in with a walker, as soon as we see him come to the doors, we try [to] grab the doors for him.”
By Himself
It was lunchtime and Doug came in like he always did, but today Christina had to know why he was always by himself and why he came to this restaurant every day.
But Doug wouldn’t tell her this time around, it would take more than that to get him to open up about his private life. They still wanted the answer.
Dying From Curiosity
Rumors were going around amongst the staff at Arby’s as to why Doug ordered the same food from them. Everyone needed to know why he did it.
“He’s gone through a lot being a veteran and living in a retirement home. And he doesn’t have family,” Christina said. But why does he order the same food every day?”
Every Day
Who might be curious as to what Doug orders every day? It’s a beef slider with swiss cheese and a Coca-Cola, hold the ice.
Christina finally mustered up the courage to ask, “Hey, Mr. Doug, we just want to know what keeps you coming back to this Arby’s location?”
Health Complications
He looked at her and simply said, “This is the only place I can get a sandwich that doesn’t hurt my stomach.”
Christina had no idea that Doug had been suffering from health issues and came to their establishment because it was the only place he could eat without being in agony.
Part Of The Family
At the Chandler Arby’s they consider their regulars family, especially Doug. When they heard about Doug’s story, it didn’t stay in the Arby’s.
Another staff member at Arby’s, 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.”
Treading Lightly
Christina was very attentive when it came to her customers, whenever a new employee was hired she made sure to brief them on Doug’s special dietary needs.
But unbeknownst to Christina, one order one day was going to be different from the norm. Something was going to slip through.
Only Place He Could Eat
Doug was happy to eat at Arby’s because of his sensitive stomach. If he couldn’t eat there, he’d likely eat a sandwich somewhere else and risk getting pains.
All the employees at Arby’s knew they had to make sure that Doug could eat his sandwich just how it was every day. He was a war hero after all, and when he needed his sandwich they made sure he got one. But one day something made it onto Doug’s sandwich that shouldn’t have.
Something Slipped Through
Ethel Fishman, a regular who knew Mr. Doug, had a hunch about one of the young waiters working at Arby’s. But, one afternoon, what she saw him slipping into Mr. Doug’s usual order left her completely dumbstruck.
The waiter looked around furtively – but he had no idea that Ethel was watching everything.
A Secret
Ethel could only guess what the waiter had done by watching his face, which was turned down intently as she prepared Mr. Doug’s usual sandwich. Then, his eyes darted around quickly — as if to see if anyone was watching.
Ethel wasn’t one to let something like this go, so she quietly pulled out her phone. She could never have known that one moment caught on camera would have such far-reaching repercussions for everyone involved…
Evidence
Ethel, making sure that her cameraphone’s flash was off, snapped the evidence she needed – the photos that would make both the server and Arby’s Facebook-famous.
Although her view was partially obscured, she saw the waiter hurriedly slip something red into the Arby’s paper bag. But she didn’t have to wait long to find out what it was. Soon, everyone would know what the server had done.
Checking His Order
The elderly man sat still as he waited for his meal — he too had his eyes on the waiter in anticipation. His breathing quickened slightly as he pushed the bag towards him.
Although Ethel couldn’t see his face, she saw the waiter crack a smile as Mr. Doug checked his order.
Something Extra
Mr. Doug began to eat his roast beef sandwich while the waiter hovered around the table. Mr. Doug seemed confused, but he hadn’t realized that reporters had crowded into the establishment.
He looked inside the bag his order had come in to check that the waiter hadn’t missed anything and noticed the piece of red card rattling around in the bottom.
Sharing The Evidence
Then, Ethel heard Mr. Doug say something that made tears well behind her eyes. She picked the clearest photo on her phone and wrote the post. Then, she hit ‘share.’
She had only just asked her server for the bill when her phone began to ping furiously. Whether they liked it or not, Arby’s was now famous. There was no undoing it. What had they done?
A Joke?
Mr. Doug, just realizing that there were reporters recording his reaction, pulled out the card. He thought it was some kind of joke at first. Then, he slowly realized what the staff at Arby’s had done.
And when it dawned on him that the act of generosity was actually real, he said: “Thank you. I never know if I’ll be here the next day, but thank you so much for this!”
Chipping In
The staff had decided to pool their spare cash and slipped a $200 Arby’s gift card into Mr. Doug’s order so he could save the little money he had.
But when the Arby’s head office heard what the kind-hearted people of Chandler had done for Mr. Doug, they got in touch for a serious discussion with manager Christina about the unorthodox gesture.
Lifetime’s Supply
“We try to go above and beyond for him because he needs the extra love,” Christina said of the way staff at that particular restaurant had cared for Mr. Doug. Grateful for Mr. Doug’s service during the war, Arby’s decided that the veteran would never pay for a roast beef slider or Coca-Cola ever again.
The restaurant chain gave Mr. Doug a lifetime’s worth of free lunches and surprised him with the news when he came in for his regular meal. And his reaction was priceless.
Speechless
“He was shocked,” Christina said. “He was absolutely speechless.” Christina and Travis personally told Mr. Doug that he wouldn’t have to worry about finding the money for his lunch anymore.
But when journalists caught up with Mr. Doug, it turned out he did have some kind things to say about the people looking out for him.
Treated Like Royalty
Mr. Doug said the restaurant’s staff always do their best to keep his table free for him, even though he’s quite happy eating at the next table over.
“Anything I need, they give it to me,” Mr. Doug said of the hospitality at Arby’s, before adding his review of their food. “It’s just so satisfying.” But the VIP customer gets much more than free food.
Ready And Waiting
Knowing that he always orders the same thing, staff have Mr. Doug’s meal ready and waiting for him when he arrives.
Everyone that works there knows that when his gift card runs out, Mr. Doug is still entitled to food on the house – even if he isn’t able to come into the restaurant personally to eat it.
Special Delivery
Employees have even given Mr. Doug their personal phone numbers so if he’s feeling unwell, he can call them directly and someone will deliver his favorite meal right to his door.
And now Mr. Doug’s story has spread throughout the community, prompting others to show their gratitude to the veteran and offer him even more free services.
Good News
Mr. Doug was well-liked in the community, so staff and diners at the Chandler Arby’s couldn’t have been happier to hear that head office had granted him food for life.
And when a local optometrist heard about how the Arby’s staff were looking after a veteran, he had to come and see what was going on with his own eyes.
Community Support
Eyesave Optometrist
After hearing that Mr. Doug could use a little help, the local eye doctor came by the restaurant to give the aging diner’s vision a full check-up completely free of charge.
And when he saw that his prescription needed an upgrade, the kind optometrist even offered Mr. Doug a free pair of glasses, which he gratefully accepted.
Arby’s For Life
Christina was over the moon to hear of more businesses stepping up to help Mr. Doug, believing it’s only right for veterans to be given a helping hand when they sacrificed so much to fight for their country.
“Let’s give him Arby’s for life!” Christina said without hesitation, despite the obvious repeat business she stands to lose. “I have no problem with that.”
True Honor
Arby’s has been recognized by veteran group Run for the Wall for everything they have done for Mr. Doug, but Christina insists that just helping him out is reward enough.
“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!”
Going Viral
The world caught wind of Mr. Doug’s story when a photo that fellow diner Daniel Maloney posted online went viral.
He had been eating at the Chandler Arby’s with his mother that day when he witnessed staff presenting Mr. Doug with the $200 coupon, before the restaurant decided to give him food for life. And he couldn’t help but capture and share the moment.
Preferred Customer
“We really enjoy you here and we always want you to come back,” Daniel reported Arby’s staff as saying to Mr. Doug when they broke the news to him that lunchtime.
“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.”
Taking It To Facebook
Although Daniel wasn’t the only one who had seen the act of kindness and decided to post on Facebook about it, it was his post that garnered the most reactions.
And after he shared the video and images on Facebook, there were plenty of other people who thought the story was heartwarming and worth celebrating.
Positive Response
“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.”
Thanking A Hero
“What a wonderfully uplifting story. Thank you for your service, Doug. I’ve always loved Arby’s and I’ll probably like them more now. So good to know that there are still great, caring young people with big hearts. Keep up the good work kids.”
And the positivity continued to pour in – many more users wanted to thank Mr. Doug for his service.