If most of us indulged in fast food every day we probably wouldn’t make it to the ripe, old age of 98. But Doug Parker – also known as “Mr. Doug” – is different.

Without fail, he walked into the Arby’s in Chandler, Arizona each day and ordered his usual – a roast beef slider with the swiss melted and a coke with no ice. Of course, the swiss has to be melted just right.

“We try to go above and beyond for him because he needs the extra love,” store manager Christina Gamage told ABC 15 News Arizona.

The staff now considers Mr. Doug family and when he was unable to get to the eatery in 2019, Gamage made sure to have his favorite meal delivered to him every day.

One of the staff would always drive over to his assisted living facility 5 miles away to drop it off.

“Right now he’s unable to get to us so we make sure he still gets his meals somehow,” Gamage said.

That’s just par for the course at this particular Arby’s, who also gives Mr. Doug his food for free.

“Let’s give him Arby’s for life, I have no problem with that,” Gamage said of the easy decision to honor the WWII veteran.

As a result, Gamage’s Arby’s was recognized by a veteran group called Run for the Wall for their kindness.

“It was truly an honor, there are so many amazing stories about our veteran’s and I thank them for everything they’ve done for us!” Gamage said.

One of the first employees to ask about the customer’s past was Travis Coye, who recalled one of his first conversations with the veteran back in 2018:

“Hey, Mr. Doug. We just want to know what keeps you coming back to this Arby’s location?” he wanted to know.

It turns out it was more than the taste – Mr. Doug has a stomach disorder and that particular meal is the only one he can eat reliably without discomfort. (Of course, it should go without saying that just because this seems to work for Mr. Doug doesn’t exactly make it a healthy meal!)

But because of his sensitive stomach, Mr. Doug made it a habit to chew each bite roughly 100 times before swallowing. That means his lunch wasn’t a quick in-and-out but typically lasted an hour and a half.

The staff was soon all-too-happy to make him feel at home, making sure that when they caught sight of him outside with his walker that someone rushed to grab the doors for him.

“He’s gone through a lot being a veteran, coming in, being in a retirement home, but he doesn’t have family,” Gamage said.

The staff quickly adopted their beloved regular as family. Members of the staff have exchanged phone numbers with Mr. Doug and check in on him often. Any time he couldn’t make it in, they’d bring him a meal.

The staff even arranged for a local eye doctor to stop by the restaurant to offer Mr. Doug a free eye exam and glasses!

In 2018, they presented him with a $200 gift card so he could keep coming back without having to budget for it.

“He was shocked, hardly had anything to say,” the manager recalled.

Of course, now it’s all free.

Be sure to scroll down below to see one of the many heartwarming news stories about Mr. Doug.

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Source: ABC15 Arizona via YouTube, ABC15 News, FOX 10 Phoenix, azfamily powered by 3TV & CBS5AZ via YouTube