Every day, first responders, police officers, and emergency personnel put their lives in danger to safeguard our communities.
They always attempt to complete their work, sometimes putting in long hours, regardless of how long it takes or what time it is.
Thus, after a long, exhausting day, these four Louisiana police officers made the decision to have dinner at their neighborhood Outback Steakhouse.
They were unaware of the surprise they would experience after eating their lunch.
According to Fox8, the incident happened at the Outback Steakhouse in Slidell, Louisiana, where four local officers who were on duty went to refuel after work.
Everything proceeded as planned and in the typical manner.
Everything about the evening went according to plan, including the way their dinner was delivered. That is, until the officers received their receipt and received a shocking surprise.
The officers dined at the Outback Steakhouse, where Zoë Rao, a server, stated, “They’re the sweetest guys.” She also said she enjoyed serving them.
On social media, though, what transpired next received a lot of attention.
Having worked for the company for eighteen years, manager Arline Wood recognized the police as frequent customers.
Together, she and waitress Zoë Rao came up with a scheme.
The officers were shocked to see what was printed on their receipt when it came time to pay the $67 bill, but they soon learned it was on the house.
In addition to picking up their tab, the manager and server left a nice comment on the ticket expressing gratitude for their community effort.
It said, “Be careful!” It said, “Thank you for your service!” in writing at the top and below. We hope you all enjoy your supper!
Their concern is for the community. They are concerned about all of us. These guys are amazing. Arline Wood stated, “Our entire police force is fantastic, and these guys at night, I went to Zoë and I said, let’s take care of it.
The officers apparently left a sizable gratuity as a token of their appreciation.
Later, the Slidell Police Department uploaded a picture of the receipt on their Facebook page as a way to honor the two Outback Steakhouse workers.
It got viral very quickly.
But that’s not at all what Zoë Rao or Arline Wood desired. They did not want the world to see their amazing performance.
Arline Wood actually admitted that the attention had been a bit too much to take when she was questioned about it afterwards.
“I was wondering what you were talking about when I received a call early in the morning.” Wood thought back.
People were phoning me, and after that we noticed it on Facebook, then this website, and that website. We didn’t do it for the publicity, because, God knows, I detest publicity of any kind.
However, could something positive emerge from all the attention?
Arline and Zoë really hope that their small gesture would inspire others to show gratitude to those who risk their lives every day to keep us safe.
Huge props to these women for providing a great example of how to express gratitude to our law enforcement officials, who selflessly brave evil on a daily basis so that we don’t have to!
Instead of hearing stories of people disrespecting or refusing police officers service, I believe we should see more of these kinds of things.
These kinds of gestures of gratitude serve as a constant reminder of why they do what they do. To all first responders, you are really appreciated!
To encourage others to express their gratitude to those who put their lives in danger every day to keep us secure, please share this on Facebook.
