Mr. Doug is likely the most loyal customer at an Arby’s restaurant in Chandler, Arizona. The 97-year-old man is a veteran who served in World War II, and he’s a huge fan of the famous roast beef sandwiches that the food chain is known for.
In fact, Mr. Doug comes in every single day to have a meal there, no exceptions.
The WWII-vet also knew exactly what he wanted every time. His favorite meal is a Swiss cheese filled roast beef slider sandwich along with a Coke, without ice. It’s an order that all of the staff members in this restaurant have memorized since they see Mr. Doug all the time.
One day, one of the employees was so intrigued and wanted to hear more about this man’s story.
Travis Coye wanted to learn more about the kind elderly man and especially wanted to learn why he loves Arby’s so much.
“Hey, Mr. Doug. We just want to know what keeps you coming back to this Arby’s location?” he staff member simply asked him.
It turns out that Mr. Doug actually had a pretty good reason to have a meal there every single day as he suffers from a stomach disorder.
“This is the only place I can get a sandwich or get anything else to eat that doesn’t hurt my stomach,” the vet then told him.
It’s likely due to his age that his stomach isn’t tolerating most foods anymore, but Mr. Doug was incredibly happy when he finally found something that he could eat and it was something he adored as well: a roast beef sandwich.
He liked the meal so much, that he never even really tried to look for alternatives.
The man lives at a retirement home, but he leaves every single day to head to the local Arby’s restaurant. Doug also has his favorite table and the staff has pretty much become his family. All of the employees always make sure that Mr. Doug is as comfortable as can be.
“He comes in with a walker, as soon as we see him come to the doors, we try [to] grab the doors for him,” Christina Gamage, who manages the Arby’s restaurant in Chandler.
“He’s gone through a lot being a veteran, coming in, being in a retirement home, but he doesn’t have family,” she added.
One day, the staff even chipped in to give him a $200 gift card.
They appreciated this kind man so much and wanted to make sure that he didn’t have to worry about paying for lunch for a while. Mr. Doug thought they were joking at first, but couldn’t be more thankful when he realized that this act of generosity was actually real.
“Thank you. I never know if I’ll be here the next day, but thank you so much for this,” he then said.
For some of the staff members, Mr. Doug was considered like family – and they meant it.
A number of them even gave him their phone number, and they promised that they would bring his favorite sandwich and drink to the nursing home in case he wouldn’t be able to make it.
This heartwarming story was later shared on Fox News, and the responses were absolutely amazing. After it was aired, the Arby’s restaurant then even decided to give him an even greater gift.
Since that moment, they offered him unlimited free food – for the rest of his life.
For Mr. Doug, coming to this restaurant must feel like coming home. He feels loved by the staff and he adores the food – two things that make this World War II veteran incredibly happy.
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