Considering the number of orders fast-food employees have to deal with at any given time, it would be a miracle if they even noticed an unusual customer note. Thankfully, in the situations below, fast-food workers were observant enough to pick up on the true meaning behind odd requests and take the action needed. 

As Pizza Hut was preparing the order, their standard operating procedure included checking for any customer notes. The staff members working that night were shocked to see what their regular customer, Cheryl Treadway, had requested. Could it be an error or a prank?

She believed she couldn’t ask for more. Life was fun, and Florida was giving them year-round sun. It was enough to keep them going. She also adored her kids and would give anything to make them happy. 

Of course, life was not perfect. Cheryl’s partner, Ethan, was struggling with drug addiction. His bad habits worried Cheryl, and he was prone to emotional outbursts as well as irrational and violent behavior. 

The illicit substances Ethan was taking wreaked havoc on his ability to control himself. He became incapable of facing reality in a calm way. It was a spring afternoon when Cheryl got into an argument with her boyfriend, who was under the influence at the time.

At one point, Ethan grabbed the phone Cheryl was holding. His face and eyes were filled with a frightening rage. It was enough to make Cheryl fear for her life. However, Ethan had not even reached his peak. He went to the kitchen and grabbed a knife.

However, the school day was coming to an end. She was going to have to go and pick the kids up soon. Ethan knew that if Cheryl left, she might run away with the kids or call the cops on him. So, he decided to go with her to the kids’ school.

As cars passed them by, she wanted to shout out for help. But she was aware that Ethan could easily lash out. Eventually, they arrived at school and picked up the kids. They all quietly returned home. 

She knew that her kids’ routine consisted of having some food as soon as they returned home from school. Since they were all hungry, she used this as an opportunity to reach out to someone. She chose a place that her kids loved. 

While making the order, Ethan was watching Cheryl like a hawk. He wanted to make sure she was not doing anything that would alert anyone to their situation. He did not want Cheryl to call and ask for help.

However, Cheryl knew the situation could become worse in a split second. She could not trust Ethan to stay calm for long. Cheryl had no choice but to keep the peace as she waited for Pizza Hut to deliver her order.

The local Pizza Hut was careful to make the order perfect as Cheryl was a regular, and they wanted to make her happy. Little did they know how important this order was. Their first clue came when they spotted the special request on the order ticket. What the staff saw was a cause for alarm.

When staff saw Cheryl’s request, they were alarmed. It was something they had not seen before. It was also a message they couldn’t ignore. Cheryl explicitly asked for help by saying, “911hostage help!”

Hamilton quickly realized that the message was not a prank. Since Cheryl was a Pizza Hut regular, the manager knew immediately that the message was out of the ordinary. She didn’t hesitate for a moment, calling the cops and giving them Cheryl’s address. 

The wait felt like a lifetime. Cheryl sat with Ethan in silence. She did not know what was going to happen. Nor did she know what Ethan would do next. Suddenly, police cars were in front of their house. Still, Cheryl knew she couldn’t relax. 

The only information they had about the family was given by the Pizza Hut manager. They knew they couldn’t just barge into the house because of the children involved. Before they could make their first move, Cheryl burst through the front door. 

She figured that her youngest child was the most vulnerable and so immediately grabbed him as she fled to the police officers. Given the circumstances, she could only take one of her children without alerting Ethan. However, the poor mother was consumed with fear for her other boys. 

When Lt. Ludden learned that Cheryl’s other two children were still inside with her armed boyfriend, who was under the influence of drugs, he knew they had to take immediate action. The question was, would they make it in time? 

The police officer’s priority was to de-escalate the tension and prevent any lethal outcome. He and his fellow officers also had to think of the two kids left inside. As police spoke with Ethan, the situation grew even tenser. Then something unexpected happened after 20 minutes.

Ethan quietly walked out of the house and gave himself up to the police. He voluntarily surrendered, and he didn’t hurt anyone. It was the most miraculous thing that could have happened. Cheryl was elated. Though her kids were a bit shaken, they were all safe. 

The incident solidified the value of responding quickly to any request for urgent help. It also shows the importance of paying attention to the people around you and being open to taking action if something seems wrong. This next story further highlights just how important this attitude is. 

Similar to the Pizza Hut incident, employees had to intervene when they saw the emergency. The store manager, Logan Simmons, was aware of standard practices they must adhere to, but this situation had never come up in their training.  

The passengers in this car were not the usual happy, hungry customers. In the vehicle, he saw a mother and a child. Though this sounds normal, the shocking interaction that followed will stay with Logan for the rest of his life. 

However, there was something odd about the way they were talking. Their conversation was frantic, and both seemed to be in panic mode. Logan could not immediately make sense of what was going on in this car, but it didn’t seem right. 

The child was definitely crying out for something, but it was not a toy, meal, or soda. None of the employees could understand what the child wanted. The child’s mother seemed to have no idea how to handle the situation either. 

It was at this moment when the stunned Chick-fil-A workers learned what was going on. The driver of the car was the child’s mother. She was not asking for soda. She was not asking for a chicken sandwich. She was asking for help.

Unfortunately, his efforts were only making the situation worse. The more he tried to free himself, the tighter the belt circled his neck. He was helpless as he got more tangled every time he moved.

Saving the life of a child is about as far removed as you can get from their regular duties of frying chicken and making sandwiches. The manager, Logan, was at a loss. He did not know what to make of the situation and didn’t know what they could do to help.

Time was running out. The poor boy was gasping for air, and the belt seemed hopelessly tangled around him. Logan saw that the child’s face was going from red to white. This fast-food store manager has no choice but to act and act fast. 

Logan figured that if he ran out of the restaurant’s front or side door, the seconds lost would greatly affect the boy who was gasping for air inside the car. It might be too late. 

After a bit of a struggle, Logan found himself right in front of the customer’s car. He was out. It only took a few seconds and a very quick decision-making process. Logan had no time to think about what he was doing. His priority was to save the boy. 

However, Logan saw the struggling child and had to make a move. As he approached the boy inside the car, he asked the child’s mother if she would permit him to help. Of course, she agreed, but then Logan asked if he could do something she might find crazy.

Logan did not give up. What felt like a long and arduous battle with the belt took only a few seconds. He continued cutting until he saw that the boy was free and no longer struggling to breathe. Relief was felt by all.

According to the Gainesville Times, Logan felt relieved when the boy started crying. It was more than enough for Logan to feel thankful that the kid was alive. He immediately knew that the boy could now breathe perfectly. 

The kid’s mother explained that if the same thing happened to her, she would have run around in a frenzy and would not have known what to do. Logan was named a fast food hero, but his response to being given this title was unexpected. 

Logan was more concerned with something far bigger. Rather than accepting his new fame, Logan was quick to let people know that he didn’t want adoration. He did not want attention to be placed on him. He was merely doing what the situation called him to do. 

When USA Today interviewed Logan, he expressed his shock at the incident as well as how it transpired. However, he also said that he feels grateful that he was able to help and that everything turned out fine. The story could have had a tragic end. 

When a news team asked if he would be receiving a raise for his good deed, Logan humbly responded that he might bring that up with his bosses. Clearly, his response shows he was not even thinking that he deserved a reward. 

Many people visited the restaurant to thank him for his quick thinking and skills. Still, Logan felt he was just doing what anyone would have done in his position. He was just happy to help. 

Part of Logan’s career plan was to work in real estate and have a flourishing career. His admirers are working hard to help him make his dream a reality. Many feel he deserves the blessings he is being given.

Logan received a new car to help him get to work. Previously, he had to get a ride to work at Chick-fil-A because he did not have his own car. The fundraiser on Novembersmiles.org helped him realize his dream of owning his own car – a well-deserved reward for a brave young man!