97-Year-Old Veteran Gets An Amazing Surprise Gift After Eating At The Same Restaurant Every Day

A 97-year-old man in Chandler, Arizona, was a loyal customer at his local Arby’s, an American fast-food chain store famous for its delicious roasted beef sandwiches. For years, this man would walk up to the restaurant with a courteous smile and order the same meal every single day for many years. 

A 97-year-old man went to a specific Arby’s every day and ordered the same meal, always with a happy face and an eager attitude toward life. Every staff member knew him, especially Christina Gamage, the franchise manager. 

When Christina Gamage started her job as branch manager in 2015, she was thrilled with the opportunity to give her clients the best service and food in the area. The Arby’s she was working at was on the corner of Alma School Road and Queen’s Creek, on the northern side of town. 

The employees affectionately called him Mr. Doug, although his full name was Douglas Parker. Staff members ensured his table was always available and clean for his daily arrival. And as soon as he walked in, they helped open the door for him and helped him to his seat. 

Gamage, the branch manager, and the rest of the employees found out, little by little, details about Mr. Doug’s life. But it was a challenging task. Only after many attempts, he started to open up. The staff couldn’t believe what they heard when he began telling his story. Eventually, he confessed he lived down the road in a retirement home, where he had been for a few years.  

Mr. Doug won all of Arby’s staff’s affection; they tried to uplift his spirits as much as possible, from when he entered the restaurant to the moment he left the premises. But even with this much attention, he was still not very open about his personal life. 

Every day, Mr. Doug would walk in through the door and repeat his order “A roast beef slider with melted Swiss cheese and a medium coke with no ice.” Even though the employees didn’t need reminding, because they already knew his order by heart.    

Another day, another roast beef sandwich. It seemed like just another Tuesday, but this time Christina Gamage finally had the courage nobody else had found to ask Mr. Doug. What was the reality behind his fascination for that specific Arby’s branch? 

The staff felt a lot of affection for Mr. Doug; after all, he was there every single day, so when he revealed the truth behind his order, they felt a lot of empathy for him. He wasn’t eating his roast beef sandwich because it was his favorite food, after all. 

“You’re like my family,” Mr. Doug frequently mentioned to the staff members, and they felt he was part of the staff family as well. Although it was an unfortunate situation, Travis Coye, the general manager, mentioned he felt compelled to do something for his most valuable customer. 

It was another day at Chandler’s Arby’s. The team was preparing for the busiest time of day, lunchtime, but it would be an extra special lunchtime because a plan that the employees had concocted would take place as soon as Mr. Doug went through the door and ordered his usual meal. 

Daniel Maloney, a frequent client of Arby’s, saw an employee slip a red envelope into one of the orders to be handed out to a customer. He was intrigued and had a lot of questions. He didn’t think a staff member would harm a customer, but he didn’t want it to be the case.

Mr. Doug was sitting at his usual table, waiting for his regular lunch on what he probably deemed a very ordinary day. But, little did he know that he would receive a gift that would change how he saw his local Arby’s. 

When Mr. Doug finally opened the envelope, his face was illuminated by a huge smile. This was not an average day, and he couldn’t believe he had received such a thoughtful gift when it wasn’t even his birthday. 

“I never know if I’ll be here tomorrow, so thank you so much for this” said the teary-eyed veteran, who never thought he would receive such kindness from strangers. The down-to-earth man was really grateful and wanted to express it to the employees, but he couldn’t find the words.

The gifts didn’t stop there. He was handed a notebook with all of the staff’s personal phone numbers; in case he felt lonely or needed something, he could quickly contact someone. They even offered to deliver his lunch if he didn’t feel like walking to the restaurant. 

Daniel Maloney witnessed the entire affair and couldn’t believe the selfless kindness he had observed. He was so pleased about it that he posted an image he took on the spot on social media with a caption explaining the ordeal. 

The employees’ good deeds didn’t go unrecognized. Maloney’s post went viral, and soon, it seemed like the whole world was watching what this group of lovely people decided to do for a man they barely knew. 

The post went so viral that Daniel Maloney had to delete it because he was getting too much attention and reach. He intended to share a heartfelt story, not gain fame. But at that point, the story had gained a life of its own.

Soon, everyone was aware of the small act of kindness the Chandler Arby’s staff had done. And the story made it to national headlines! Fox10 took the report and visited the chain restaurant to interview the team that was behind the deed.

When the story broke out in national news, Arby’s corporate was also made aware of the kind act the Chandler Arby’s had done. Initially the endeavor of giving Mr. Doug money for his lunch was completely altruistic.

The people at Arby’s corporate were delighted with the idea of helping and came up with a proposal to the Chandler branch: “free meals for life for Mr. Doug” this was extraordinary! The restaurant chain had never granted this honor to anyone else. 

Without the company’s consent, individual stores can’t grant anyone a right to free meals; it’s in their policy. But thanks to the viral post and the amount of publicity the restaurant got, Mr. Doug’s meals were probably paid for by themselves. 

When Mr. Doug went to get a meal with his $200 voucher a few weeks later, he wasn’t aware news cameras, and journalists would receive him. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced before, unrequested fame for eating at the same restaurant for years.

Mr. Doug also told the news that even though he appreciated having free meals for life, he valued the gesture from his dear friends at Arby’s even more. It wasn’t about the money. It was about the care they always treated him with. 

As long as publicity stunts go, its very easy for big corporations to squeeze out opportunities like this. And Arby’s is no exception. But this event triggered many similar more throughout the United States. Gamage mentioned she encourages people to support the veterans in their lives, as they are a vulnerable section of the population that is often neglected. 

The small act of kindness started an incredible turn of events. Not only was the news interested in praising the employees for their actions, but it helped other charities get in touch with the Chandler Arby’s. 

Run for the wall gave Arby’s a plaque thanking them for their support and for taking care of Mr. Doug as if he was a member of their own family. Gamage was incredibly grateful when she received the plaque. “It’s truly an honor,” she said to Fox10.

When the news went viral, Arby’s corporate wasn’t the only one to expand Mr. Doug’s gift. A local optometrist known for his charitable work also reached out when he heard of the story and offered his services free of charge.

A few months later, Mr. Doug fell ill and couldn’t walk to the restaurant he had walked into so many times in the past. But this time, he wasn’t shy to ask for help. He called Cristina and she agreed to take the meals to his house every day.