Lonely 97-year-old veteran ate at Arby's every day, so the staff surprised him with free food for life

In an age of food pop-ups and changing culinary trends that everyone wants to keep up with, there are still people who remain loyal to their local diners. For a World War II veteran, 97-year-old Doug Parker, an Arby's restaurant in Chandler, Arizona became his go-to spot for lunch. He lived in a retirement home nearby and had established a special bond with the restaurant staff. After 3 years of loyalty, the eatery decided to offer their beloved customer a lifetime supply of his favorite sandwich.

Finding a Whole New Family 

The manager at the restaurant, Christina Gamage shared that she started working at the location near Queen Creek and Alma School Roads around 2015, shortly before Doug started showing up. She told Fox10 Phoenix that he sat at the same table and ate the same meal, a roast beef slider with Swiss cheese and a senior drink (Coke with no ice), every day for two-and-a-half years. 

When he was asked why he kept coming back to the Arby's location, Doug said that it was the only place where he could get a sandwich that didn't hurt his stomach. Gamage shared that the veteran suffered from a stomach disorder and had no family to take care of him. 

Hence, the staff at the restaurant essentially adopted him as a family member and helped him in every way they could. "He comes in with a walker, as soon as we see him come to the doors, we try [to] grab the doors for him," Gamage said. Employees have even shared their numbers with Doug in case he ever needs help and they deliver his favorite meal whenever he is unable to make it to the restaurant. For Christmas 2018, the workers came together to chip in for a special present. They gifted Doug a $200 gift card to cover his meals for days to come. "He was shocked, hardly had anything to say," Gamage said.

A customer, Daniel Maloney, who was eating at the restaurant with his mother that day, saw the staff presenting the gift to Doug. She snapped some pictures and posted them on Facebook.

"We really enjoy you here and we always want you to come back," the manager said while presenting the gift card to Doug, according to the post. "I never know if I'll be here the next day, but thank you so much for this," the veteran responded. Soon, Fox 10 Phoenix picked up the story, and it went viral, prompting Arby's to give Doug a bigger gift by offering him free food for life.

The following year, ABC 15 reported that Doug had stopped showing up for his favorite meal for a few weeks. However, Gamage and her staff made sure that the veteran's favorite meal was delivered to him every day at an assisted living facility about five miles away.

"Right now he's unable to get to us so we make sure he still gets his meals somehow," Gamage told ABC15.