Customer Decided To Start Filming Waffle House Waitress For Astonishing Reason
It seems like in this day and age, nothing is private. People have cameras attached to their hips at all times, which is how we've ended up with so many viral videos. That lack of privacy can sometimes be concerning, but it can also catch things in the act.
For one Waffle House waitress in La Marque, Texas, she was caught by a customer doing something remarkable. Keep reading to find out what this waitress was caught doing.
A Day Unlike Any Other
The person who recorded the video in question was a Waffle House regular by the name of Laura Wolf. Laura often stopped into the Waffle House in La Marque for a cup of coffee, and she was quite friendly with all of the Waffle House staff.
On March 3rd, 2018, Laura went to the Waffle House just like she had so many times before, but this time, something happened that made her pull out her phone and press record.
A Busy Day At The Restaurant
The Waffle House in La Marque was a pretty successful franchise. Most days, it was pretty crowded, but on this spring day, it was even more crowded than usual. There are 16,000 people who live in La Marque, and to Laura, it seemed like the whole town had shown up for breakfast.
The servers were working on overdrive to keep up with the morning rush. Laura watched as they rushed from table to table making sure that all of the customers were fed.
One Particular Waitress
Laura knew a lot of the Waffle House staff by name. She noticed that one waitress named Evoni Williams was working hard to keep up with the large number of orders. Evoni had been working at that Waffle House location for quite some time.
She was just 18 years old at the time and she was working as a waitress in an attempt to save up money for college. She was a long way away from her goal, but she kept working hard to make her dream a reality.
The Restaurant Was Understaffed
Evoni wasn't too bothered about the restaurant being crowded. In fact, she was happy about the number of customers because more orders mean more tips. Evoni got to work doing everything she could to make her customers comfortable and happy.
Evoni was running all over the restaurant, delivering hot plates of food, taking orders, and dropping off bills, but then she saw something at one of the tables that pulled her attention away from the hustle and bustle of her busy day.
Evoni Saw A Familiar Face
Evoni noticed that one of her regular customers, a 78 year old man by the name of Adrien, was sitting at a table by himself. This man's name was Adrien, but everyone called him Mr. Karaoke.
Evoni noticed that Adrien was using an oxygen tank. This man visited the Waffle House at least once a week, but this was the first time that he came to the restaurant with an oxygen tank. He was clearly having some health issues.
Adrien Got Evoni's Attention
Evoni was so busy rushing all over the restaurant that she hadn't noticed Adrien until that moment. Just as Evoni was about to sit down to take a small break, Adrien waved her down. Clearly, he was trying to get her attention.
Evoni walked over to the bar area where Adrien was sitting. Adrien started whispering something to Evoni in a quiet voice that nobody else could hear. That's when Laura started recording, but Evoni had no idea that she was being filmed.
The Whole Thing Caught On Camera
Laura Wolf was sitting directly across from Adrien. When Evoni sat down beside the elderly man, Laura started listening to their conversation. Laura couldn't really hear because Adrien was talking so quietly. She leaned in closer to see if she could figure out what was going on.
According to Laura, Adrien looked like he was a bit embarrassed to be talking to Evoni. Laura took out her camera phone and started filming when she realized that something amazing was happening.
Evoni Listened To Adrien
It can be difficult to hear anybody in a busy Waffle House on a bright morning, let alone an old man who needs to use an oxygen tank. Evoni did everything she could to listen to Adrien. Some other people in the restaurant were calling for Evoni's attention, but she stayed with Adrien. She was dedicated to addressing his concerns.
She knew that this man wouldn't be asking for her unless he really needed her help.
What Adrien Needed
When Adrien first called Evoni over to his table, Evoni thought that there was something wrong with the man's order. That's usually what happened when she was called to a customer's table. As Adrien was explaining his predicament to Evoni, he slid his place across the table towards her.
Laura watched as Evoni took the plate loaded up with ham, toast, home fries, and scrambled eggs, and pushed it right back to him. Laura leaned in closer to figure out what was going on.
Two Cameras Filming At Once
This whole interaction only took about a minute or so. Still, in that short amount of time, Evoni was completely focused on Adrien. All of the other customers in the restaurant left her mind as she turned her attention to the elderly man in front of her.
Laura was still filming the whole thing (without Evoni's knowledge), but there was also another camera that was recording the whole interaction. Evoni was being watched from all angles.
The Eye In The Sky
In a busy restaurant like Waffle House, security cameras are increasingly important. This particular location did have a CCTV security camera set up. At the same time Laura was watching the interaction take place, the camera, hanging from the ceiling, was also recording everything that happened.
The silent camera, barely noticed by anyone, gave a bird's eye shot of everything happening between Evoni and Adrien on that fateful day at a Waffle House.
Laura Posted The Video On Facebook
Laura Wolf was speechless after she witnessed the scene that had just played out in front of her. She now had several photos of Evoni and Adrien as the waitress returned his breakfast plate to him.
She struggled with what to do with the photo evidence, and eventually decided to post it to her Facebook account. She shared it, not having a clue how she was about to change Evoni's life.
Adrien Asked A Question
The astonishing scene that Laura Wolf had just watched and recorded all started when Adrien flagged down waitress Evoni. The man was experiencing a decline in his health and was not able to perform personal tasks the way he used to be able to.
Laura thought he had seemed embarrassed or self-conscious when he talked to Evoni. It turned out that he needed assistance cutting his breakfast ham. "I can hold a fork fine and dandy," Adrien told ABC News. “But to cut it looks like I'm going to stab somebody,” he continued. This is what he had asked of Evoni – for help cutting his food.
Evoni Rose To The Challange
Later, Evoni talked about the scene at the Waffle House on that fateful morning. "He was like, 'My hands are not functioning too well,'" she said of Adrien's request. She had to really lean in order to hear his question.
“He needed me to cut his food for him, so I did,” she told ABC News. Evoni took his food, cut the ham into, bite-sized pieces and pushed it all back over to him. This was pretty routine for a waitress to do with a regular customer, so Evoni went about her regular day and didn’t much of it. For now.
Laura's Facebook Post Went Viral
Laura felt strongly that she wanted to get the story out about what she had just witnessed. She figured Facebook would be the best place to share her photos. Here's what she posted. "I don’t know her name but I heard this elderly man tell her his hands don’t work too good."
Laura went on, “He was also on oxygen and struggling to breathe. Without hesitation, she took his plate and began cutting up his ham. This may seem small but to him, I’m sure it was huge. I’m thankful to have seen this act of kindness and caring at the start of my day while everything in this world seems so negative.” The post instantly affected everyone who saw it.
Evoni Wasn't Expecting This Kind Of Attention
Even while she was still at the Waffle House, Laura's post started to get some major attention. Her phone was lighting up with alerts left and right. People shared positive things about Evoni, and many of them shared Laura’s post on their own accounts. Word rapidly began to spread of this woman’s kind deed.
"If we could all be like this waitress and take time to offer a lending hand…" was how Laura decided to close her Facebook post. Little did she know what would happen as a result.
People All Over The Country Were Commending Evoni For Her Act Of Kindness
It didn't take long for Laura’s post to go viral. In just a few days since she first shared it, the photos racked up 90,000 likes and nearly 50,000 shares. People were truly touched by Evoni’s kind act and wanted to share the heartwarming moment with their own friends and family.
Adrien got attention from the post, too, he told ABC News. "Somebody told me two days later that I was very popular because they saw me on Facebook," he said, and joked that “They got a fancy picture of my suspenders in the back.” It seems everyone in the town knew about Evoni and Adrien.
Even The Mayor Had Something To Say
La Marque, Texas's mayor is named Bobby Hocking. When word of Evoni’s good deed reached his office, he instantly wanted to meet her. It was arranged that the meeting would take place at the Waffle House (of course).
The restaurant was filled with cameras for the event, which Evoni had expected. But she had no idea what the mayor had planned for this special event. He wanted to honor her in front of everyone.
A Big Day For Evoni
Evoni's big day arrived, and she watched as her place of employment filled with reporters and camera crews. At least this time around, she would be aware that she was being recorded!
The mayor arrived and stood behind the Waffle House bar, right where Evoni had been when she’d helped Adrien with his breakfast that day. And then the mayor announced that he wanted to give a special presentation. He told the gathered crowd and news cameras that he was declaring March 8 as "Evoni 'Nini’ Williams Day" in La Marque. And things were about to get even better for Evoni, who was already in disbelief.
What Goes Around, Comes Around
As Evoni's story made its rounds on the internet, people wanted to learn more about her. How did this remarkable woman end up working at Waffle House?
People found out that Evoni worked so very hard because she wanted to save enough money to attend college. In a "paying it forward" move, some residents of La Marque set up a GoFundMe account in an effort to raise tuition money so Evoni could go to school. And it turns out that someone very important received news of this fundraising effort.
The Public Did What They Could To Help Evoni
More and more people began to donate to the GoFundMe page that had been set up to raise money for Evoni and "pay it forward" so she could attend college. People right from her own town and people across the country donated what they could to the kind Waffle House waitress.
At Texas Southern University in Houston, some staff learned about Evoni and her goal of attending college. They decided to help out in a special way. One of the university's administrators said. “We wanted to reward Evoni’s act of kindness.”
An Important Guest
As Evoni learned about the new holiday in her honor that day at Waffle House, she beamed knowing that Adrien and Laura were both there to cheer her on. But there was someone else present that Evoni did not expect in her wildest dreams.
Also there was the president of Texas Southern University! He said that he wanted the chance to meet Evoni and "let her know that good deeds do not go unnoticed, " as he said in an interview later. he later explained in a television interview.
A Well Deserved Opportunity
After the mayor's presentation of Evoni’s special holiday, it was the president of Texas Southern University’s turn to take his place behind the Waffle House bar. He was about to give the special woman a gift no one could have imagined.
With a jumbo-sized check in hand, the president announced that the school was awarding Evoni a scholarship worth a whopping $16,000! Evoni, and most of the crowd, burst into tears of surprise and joy.
Evoni's Biggest Cheerleaders
The folks who helped start this whole thing were especially happy for Evoni. Laura Wolf and Adrien could have had no possible idea the role that they would play in one Waffle House waitress's future.
As she spoke to reporters that day, Laura had this to say. "It was so busy in here, you know? And she actually took the time to stop and hear what he had to say instead of walking past him. It just meant something to me," she explained. And Adrien said that the act meant a lot to him as well.
Evoni Was Just Doing What She Could To Be Kind
Ever humble, Evoni said that she did what anyone else would do if they knew someone was in need. She didn't let the award, the media attention, or even the scholarship go to her head.
As she told local reporters "I don’t know, it was something I would do any other day." But anyone who’s ever been helped by the kindness of a stranger might disagree with her. Evoni is a beautiful example of treating people with kindness.
A Waitress Unlike Any Other
Rosalynd Harris is more than your average waitress, and that's for sure. At 25 years old, she works at Busboys and Poets, located in Washington, D.C., and she knows precisely what she wants from life.
Working at that restaurant is no coincidence, as it promotes social justice like Rosalynd does. She stands up for what she believes in, no matter what. Then, when a group of Texans walked into the restaurant, her moral compass spazzed, and she didn't know how to handle the situation.
The Daily Grind
While she might generally enjoy working at Busboys and Poets, Harris treats it more like a means to an end. It's not where she wants to end her career. She works two jobs to help pay off the college fees she has while attending school.
Harris doesn't have much time to herself for relaxation or leisurely activities. With so much going on in her life, the last thing she wanted was drama coming from a customer.
She Didn't Want Any Trouble
The last thing Harris wanted was a customer confrontation, but the moment was approaching where she had no say in the matter. As previously mentioned, Busboys and Poets was a social-justice friendly location that had role models of color plastered across the walls.
You can imagine how Harris felt when a group of men with red caps walked into the building. It wasn't just the place that serves as a crucial element in this story, but the time it happened matters too...
She Stood Up For What She Believes In
The unusual situation took place during the presidential inauguration! Not only that, but it was also when the Women's March took place as well. A lot was going on, and Harris was one of the 500,000 women that showed up to march.
After all the festivities finished, some folks stayed around the city for the week that followed. Jason White and his friends were some of those people that decided to stick around after coming from Texas...
Out Of Place
During that fateful day at lunchtime, Jason and his pals strolled into the restaurant, and the energy shifted. Immediately the place became silent. Harris and everyone else in the building stared in disbelief.
Stereotyping people usually isn't something Harris does, but two things were certain regarding these new customers. For one, they were from out of town. Secondly, they only came to the country's capital to celebrate the inauguration of the new president.
A True Hero
It's never polite to judge a book by the cover, but sometimes your assumptions can be correct, as Harris' were. Jason White and his buddies came from Texas to celebrate the new leader of the free world, happy at the outcome of the election.
White is very patriotic, and he's someone who puts his country first. Looking through that lens, it makes sense that he casually walked around sporting his red cap. Still, there was more than meets the eye about White that Harris didn't know...
The Real Jason White
There was more to Jason White than you would guess from a first impression. The 37-year-old is a dentist who's big on family and has a unit of close friends in his circle.
Once he arrived in D.C. with his buddies, they visited several locations, including Arlington Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. While there is more to White than the red hat he had on, he was merely wearing it in the wrong place...
No Hats Allowed
Unsurprisingly, the first thing that caught everyone's attention was the red hats White and his friends wore. Harris didn't mention anything to White, but she quietly suggested that he and his pals remove the lids while in the eatery.
"We started getting looks," White said. "I told my friend, you need to take your hat off. I don't want people to think we're coming in here to flaunt. We're just coming here to have lunch."
Bridging The Gap
Determined not to let anything ruin her mood, Harris proceeded to White's table and gave them all a welcoming smile. They reciprocated the gesture, and things looked to be going great as they started cracking jokes!
"She started laughing when we said we were from West Texas, and she said, 'I can tell you're from the South,'" White said. "I said, 'What's your favorite thing on the menu?' She said the avocado panini is delicious, and I love avocado, so I got that…It was a relief for both of us."
A Moment In History
After the two broke the ice, White stared curiously around and asked about the restaurant's history. Harris told them that they named it after the poet Langston Hughes, a prominent figure in African American literature.
According to Harris, the group informed her that they never been to a place like it before. Once she completed taking their orders, Harris let them enjoy their food, and that was the end of that. Nothing crazy happened.
A Note Left Behind
Skip ahead one hour, and White left the restaurant with his friends. They enjoyed their lunch in an environment they've never seen before, so they departed with a positive vibe.
As waitresses do, Harris walked over to their table to clean up and collect any tip they might've left before setting up for the next customers. When she made it to the table, she saw the check covered in words. One of the men had decided to leave a note, so she read it
A Moment Of Connection
Harris only had to read a couple of words for her to realize that they written especially for her. 'Shocked' was the best way to describe the emotions Harris felt.
The first part of the note read, "We may come from different cultures and backgrounds and may also disagree on certain issues." Harris' interest soared, so she kept on reading. The more she read, the further down her jaw dropped.
Keep On Smiling
Overwhelmed by what White wrote in the first few sentences, it was what came toward the end that genuinely made Harris' eyes glow. Remember, she didn't expect anything of this magnitude coming from someone wearing a red hat.
"If everyone would share a smile and kindness like your beautiful smile, our country will come together as one people," he wrote. "Not race. Not gender. Just American. God bless!" That wasn't the end of it! Harris became utterly shocked by what was at the bottom of the check.
He Left A Huge Tip
The subtotal for the meal White and his friends feasted on was only $72.60, but Harris couldn't believe that he left her a 625% tip, which came out to $450! A standard 20% tip is something to be happy about, so this was mindblowing.
Harris had never seen anything of this magnitude in her life. White gave her the $450 as a nod to the person he came there to celebrate, the recent leader elected.
White Learned A Valuable Lesson
White remembered looking at all the influential figures that were on the walls of the restaurant. He also thought of how the Women's March and the inauguration coincided with each other, so that's when something clicked.
He figured that those were examples of people expressing the values they had. Like a light bulb appearing over his head, he began to understand how much he had in common with others, including Harris. That's what inspired his generous tip, which left Harris speechless.
Harris Got Emotional
As if the note wasn't enough, once you add in the enormous tip, Harris couldn't help but become emotional. There was no doubt that type of tip would help her a ton in her current stage of life.
Working two jobs so she could pay for college meant that extra $450 would be able to do some damage control. "The note was extremely touching and unexpected," she told TODAY. "Of course, the biggest part was definitely the amount of the tip he left."
She Broadened Her Thinking
The kind gesture helped provide Harris with a broader perspective, especially when it came to people who had differing views from hers. She thought that folks like White and his friends, with their red hats, were only interested in taking care of themselves.
"You automatically assume…that they have ideas about you," she said. "But [Jason was] more embracing than even some of my more liberal friends, and there was a real authenticity in our exchange." Harris' views weren't the only ones that changed...
White Was Moved To Tears
The whole event was enough to bring White to tears. He became reflective and thought about what had happened. His thoughts moved made him more emotional than he would have ever imagined.
"As I sat there, I thought about the entire weekend, and I thought I don't know her, she doesn't know me, but if most Americans have a preconceived perception about people, then we’re never going to get better," he said. It was at that moment the dentist got a phone call he wouldn't forget.
The Met Again
It didn't take long for this story to catch the attention of millions and put both White and Harris in the limelight. During an interview Harris participated in one day, she decided to give Harris a surprise FaceTime call.
It was the first time they had an interaction since the day they met at the restaurant. They finally had a chance to brief each other on how their lives were going. During the conversation, they both admitted that there was something about the story that people might've misunderstood.
Even More Understanding
Everything in life isn't black and white. If it were, then there would be fewer misunderstandings between people. Both Harris and White saw that others were taking the story a different way, one that they didn't agree was true.
"I hope that people just don't see it as this white guy helping this black girl," the waitress said. "This gracious gesture came from a place of compassion and love." Jason agreed, saying the following: "It's not about her and me…I just want people to take the example, and stop and think a little bit before they judge people – on all sides."
