97-Year-Old Man Eats at Arby’s Each Day, But Why?

Many people enjoy going to a fast-food restaurant periodically. Some people even have a schedule of when they go where. It’s easy to have a wave of diners throughout the day, and most restaurant employees don’t pay attention to them all.

However, you’re bound to notice when the same man comes into the fast-food joint every day at roughly the same time. What do you make of it? Do you imagine him being lonely or having eaten with his spouse for 20+ years and not wanting to sit at home now? For one manager, curiosity prevailed, and she had to find out the man’s story.

Like Clockwork

The manager at Arby’s had been working there for two-and-a-half years. During that time, an old man came in each day and ate alone without fail. Eventually, she wondered about his story and asked about it.

Mr. Doug

Christina Gamage was the manager and set her watch by Doug Parker’s lunch schedule. This 97-year-old man was a decorated veteran and visited at the same time each day, sitting in the same seat and ordering the same meal. Though she tried to become friendly with the regulars, he was different, and she had to know why!

Open Arms

Many customers were huge fans of the food, but Mr. Doug (as he was called by the staff) eats the same thing each day. Christina says that he comes in using a walker, and they try to open doors for him, but she didn’t know the full story yet.

All Alone

One afternoon, Mr. Doug came in and sat down. Christina just had to know why he came each day alone. It still took a few weeks for him to open up, but they never could have guessed his answer.

Curiosity

Soon, all members of the staff speculated about why he ordered the same thing. Christina knew that he lived in a retirement home and was a veteran, both of which took a lot to go through. Still, why did he never change up his order?

Every Day

Mr. Doug always ordered a Coca-Cola with a roast beef Swiss cheese slider for lunch each day. After Christina served his lunch one day, she asked why he kept coming back to that location. His answer wasn’t just that they made good sandwiches.

Poor Health

This old man said that the restaurant was the only place with food that didn’t hurt his stomach. Christina was shocked to know he had suffered so much and went there for his health. She wasn’t the only one who wanted to help.

Like Family

Regular customers were always thought of as family at the Arby’s in Chandler. When the team heard, they spread the word. One employee named Travis Coye said the old man believed they were part of his family, so they wanted him to feel welcome.

Must Be Careful

Christina took the needs of her regular customers seriously and told new employees about this man’s dietary requirements to ensure that his order was right. However, no one is perfect, and something slipped through.

No Choice

If Mr. Doug didn’t go to Arby’s, he might eat something to trigger the stomach disorder. No one wanted that! They all agreed to provide a hot sandwich to him when he needed it. Then, a patron saw the waiter slipping something more into his meal and nearly choked.

Slipping Something Else In

Ethel Fishman was a regular who had a feeling about a staff member. One afternoon, she saw the waiter slip something into the man’s usual order. Though he checked, he didn’t know Ethel saw him.

A Secret

Ethel didn’t know what the waiter did while preparing Mr. Doug’s sandwich. His eyes darted around, and Ethel knew she couldn’t let it go. She pulled out her phone and caught something on camera that shocked everyone.

Evidence

This woman made sure that the flash on the camera was off and took photos that made Arby’s and the server famous. Though her view was somewhat obscured, she knew the man slipped a red item into the paper bag. Soon, everyone knew what happened.

Checking the Order

The elderly man waited patiently for his meal and started breathing a bit quicker when the bag was pushed toward him. While Ethel didn’t see his face, the waiter did smile as the order was checked by Mr. Doug.

Something Extra

The waiter hovered around while Mr. Doug started eating. He seemed confused and didn’t realize that reporters were all around the place. He looked in the bag and noticed a red card at the bottom.

Sharing Evidence

Ethel heard Mr. Doug’s words, which brought tears to her eyes. She picked a photo on her phone, created a post, and shared it. She asked for her bill when the phone pinged furiously. Arby’s was famous, even if it didn’t want to be. What happened?!

A Joke or Not

Mr. Doug realized that reporters were around while he pulled out the card and believed it was a joke. Then, he realized what the Arby’s staff had done. It dawned on him that their act of generosity was real. He claimed he didn’t know if he’d be there for long, but he was thankful.

Chipping In

The staff chose to pool their spare money and put a gift card worth $200 into Mr. Doug’s bag. That way, he could save his money. When the head office heard about these kind-hearted people, they talked with Christina about doing something unorthodox.

Spreading Love

Christina said that the staff tried going above and beyond because that man needed more love. Mr. Doug had some mental issues from being in the Army. The head office realized that this veteran was crucial to the Chandler community and took things a step further.

Lifetime Supply

Arby’s was grateful for Mr. Doug’s service in the military and decided that this man never had to pay for a meal again. The restaurant chain gave him a lifetime’s worth of lunches, surprising him with it when he came in for his normal meal.

Speechless

Christina said that he was shocked and speechless. Travis and the manager personally told him that he didn’t have to worry about buying lunch. When journalists talked to him, he had many nice things to say about the restaurant staff.

Treated Like Royalty

The veteran said that the restaurant staff tried to make sure his table was free. If he needed anything, they gave it to him. Then, he raved about the food, saying it was satisfying. However, this customer got more than free food.

Ready and Waiting

The staff knew that Mr. Doug got the same order, so they always had it ready when he arrived. Those who still work there know that when the gift card runs out, he still gets food on the house, even if he can’t go to the restaurant to enjoy it.

Special Delivery

Many employees gave Mr. Doug their personal phone numbers so that he could call and get his favorite meal delivered if he couldn’t go out. This story spread throughout the community, and others wanted to show gratitude to the veteran and offer more services.

Good News

Mr. Doug was always well-liked, so diners and staff at Arby’s were happy to hear that the head office gave him food for life. When the optometrist heard about it, he had to see it for himself.

Community Support

The local eye doctor heard that Mr. Doug needed help and chose to give him a full check-up for free. When the prescription had to be upgraded, this optometrist offered the veteran a free pair of glasses!

Arby’s for Life

Christina was happy to hear that other businesses were helping, and believed it was right for veterans to get a helping hand when they had done so much for their country. Christina wanted to give Mr. Doug Arby’s for life!

True Honor

Arby’s has actually been recognized by Run for the Wall, a veteran group, for what they did for this man. However, Christina believes that helping him was the reward. She claimed that there are many stories about veterans, and she wanted to thank each one for what they did.

Going Viral

The world heard about Mr. Doug’s story when Daniel Maloney posted a photo online that went viral. He’d also been eating at the establishment and witnessed Mr. Doug getting the gift card and then free food for life. Overall, he had to share it.

Preferred Customer

Daniel said that the staff said they liked having Mr. Doug there and wanted him to come back. Maloney went on to say that there are good people in the world, and these employees put their own money in so an old man could eat.

Take It to Facebook

While Daniel wasn’t the only one who posted on Facebook about this act of kindness, his post got the most reactions. When he shared the images and video to Facebook, others thought it was worth celebrating the heartwarming story.

Positive Response

Nancy Tucker, a Facebook user, said that she was happy and everyone should do more for veterans. Others raved about the news and thanked Arby’s for what it did.

Thanking a Hero

One person wrote directly to Doug, thanking him for his service. He claimed he enjoyed Arby’s food and liked them more now. It’s so wonderful to know that there are caring people in the world!

Inspiration

The positivity kept pouring in. One commenter gushed that it was an awesome story and that they were grateful for the veteran. Another person said that this was a great story for the world to hear.

Heartwarming

One user wrote and thanked God for Doug, saying what the staff did means the world to other “Doug’s” out there who need to know that they matter and have something nice to look forward to.

Real Meal

Someone then chimed in with their own story. They said their father was a Korean War and WWII veteran. He’d have been 94 that year. The story hit him hard because he enjoyed Arby’s. After all, it was a real meal. However, others could only point out the negative things.

Free Publicity

Pelle Stallato claimed that Arby’s got more from the experience because they had free advertising; it cost a lot more to do that than to give away a small meal to one person. Watson Joe also felt that Arby’s got too much publicity for doing a good deed, saying they only wanted their 15 minutes of fame.

Supporting Veterans

However, Arby’s regularly supports veterans and offers free sandwiches to military personnel on Veteran’s Day. Jeff Davis is the Beef chief executive officer and said that feeding them on Veteran’s Day is a small token of appreciation.

The Respect Mr. Doug Deserves

Though he might struggle with health issues, Arby’s went out of its way to show him respect. He felt forgotten since risking his life in the 1940s, but the staff at that restaurant adopted him to be part of their family!

Ten More Years

Mr. Doug now has a lifetime’s supply of food for himself. One person claimed he had to live 10 more years to get any use from it. The veteran replied that it might be nice, and everyone hopes he enjoys every sandwich he eats!