Customers step up to help lone restaurant employee working a busy shift

A Waffle House restaurant.
(Image credit: Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images)

When Ethan Crispo walked into a Waffle House in Birmingham, Alabama, earlier this month and found just one man working, he was ready to turn around and look for a midnight snack elsewhere.

There were about 30 customers that night, Crispo said, and just one man — an employee named Ben — cooking, serving, and acting as cashier. Before he could leave, Crispo saw a diner stand up, walk behind the counter, and grab an apron. He started washing dishes, and was soon joined by another customer, who grabbed a coffee pot and started to fill up cups around the restaurant. "It was a smooth transition," Crispo told CNN.

The pair cleared tables and stacked dishes, freeing up Ben to cook and work the cash register. A spokesperson for Waffle House said there was a scheduling mix-up, which resulted in Ben being the only person on duty. Crispo told CNN he was amazed to see strangers coming together to help a person in need. "I've never seen anything like this ever happen, nor will I again, probably," he said. "It was one of my most memorable experiences."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.