As hungry Braves fans descended upon a Cherokee County Waffle House late last Saturday night after the NLCS Championship game, a group of teens stepped up to help make sure they all got fed after three of the five workers didn’t show up that night.
Among them were 17-year-old friends Jared Russo and Ryan Throne who decided to get a late-night snack at their favorite location on Hickory Flat Highway in Canton. Little did they know that Braves fans and concert goers out late as well would be doing the same.
“I know the workers… and I was just asking what was going on. And she said they were down three staff members. They usually have five and that night they only had two,” Throne tells WSB’s Sandra Parrish.
When the young men offered to help, they were handed blue button-down shirts and put to work.
“We started just taking drink orders, cleaning all the tables (and) all the dishes, and just helping out as much as possible,” says Russo.
The two helped for about an hour until the rush died down. They had no idea pictures were taken of them hard at work which have now been seen by nearly 40,000 on social media.
“It makes me feel good, but I was surprised that they went viral because it just seemed like something normal to do,” says Throne.
Later that morning, 18-year-old Gabe DiTirro and his friend Andrew Mack came upon the same scene. They pitched in from 2am to 4am.
“We go in there quite often, so we’ve become fond of the workers,” he said. “We saw that all the tables were dirty and there was a pit (sic) full of dishes. So, after while, we thought it would be good to clear off the tables and do the dishes for them.”
Njeri Boss, VP of Public Relations for Waffle House, says while not ideal, the company appreciates all the young men’s help.
“And in this instance, supporting some individuals who were trying to work and make sure their bills were paid and take care of customers who clearly wanted to be served,” she tells Parrish.
However, Boss emphasizes staffing will be addressed so their assistance will not be needed in the future.
Russo says he didn’t mind lending a hand.
“I would do it again. It actually was pretty fun,” he says.
DiTirro, who will be leaving for the Navy in a couple weeks, says it’s nice to help.
“If you see anywhere that’s in need, just ask to see what you can do to help others,” he says.