After 2 Years of Hitching Rides to Work, Employees Surprise Coworker with Car for Birthday
We so often fail to fully appreciate the restaurant workers who serve us our food. Why in the world is that?
If not for them, our dining experiences would be greatly diminished. From getting orders just right, to keeping the condiments coming, to dealing with complaints, they’re truly unsung heroes.
That’s why it’s so nice to see some of them get the kudos they deserve. Just look at a server named Richard Wise-Attwood who works in an Albuquerque, New Mexico, Wendy’s.
According to Today, he took an order from a blind couple on Sept. 9. But rather than simply leaving them to their own devices, he went the extra mile.
He led them to their seats, got them napkins, straws and ketchup, and placed their drinks in front of them. He also positioned each sandwich in front of the person who ordered so the pair could properly enjoy their preferred meals.
“I just took over the situation,” Wise-Attwood said. “I just did it because I knew they needed it.”
Little did he know that another customer was watching, and news of his good deed soon rose up Wendy’s ranks. A spokesperson announced that he would get a $100 gift card, as well as a signed apron from Wendy herself and various other gifts.
Meanwhile, Jordan Alaniz of Santa Maria, California, found himself facing a different kind of situation. A worker at Chick-fil-A franchise, he was used to biking 35 minutes each way to work.
At the end of his shift on Sept. 1, though, he noticed something: His bike was gone. Someone had cut the cable lock he’d used to secure it and stolen it.
His coworkers knew what a trial it would be for him to make it to work without his wheels, so they pooled their money and bought him another bike.
“I felt pretty good, you know,” he told KSBY. “I felt appreciated that they did that for me.”
Kelly Toler from Little Rock, Arkansas, felt more than appreciation for the gift his coworkers gave him. See, Toler didn’t even own a bicycle.
A night greeter at Baja Grill, he struggled to get into work each evening. “I would either ride the bus or get a ride with one of my coworkers who was passing by my house on the way in,” Toler told KTHV.
As 57-year-old Toler’s birthday approached, General Manager Heather Baber started wondering if the restaurant could give him a car. “I was looking at cars on the marketplace, and then one of the servers came to me, and she had the idea on her own,” she said.
“And then (it) turns out simultaneously two other servers were thinking about the same thing. … It was just a group effort.”
Baja Grill employees presented Toler with the keys to a Toyota on Sept. 10, and his response was one of teary gratitude. “He was very surprised, very overwhelmed. Lots of tears,” Baber said.
“He finished out his shift last night and there were tears on and off all night. He said it was the best day of his life.”
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