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Dozens of customers pay it forward at Lowell BBQ restaurant

Posted at 6:57 PM, Mar 07, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-07 19:09:45-05

LOWELL, Mich. -- One simple act of kindness caught on like wildfire at Main Street BBQ in Lowell over the weekend.

Server Mitch Maslowski was on duty at the time and watched as customer after customer decided to pay for people's meals at other tables. In the year-and-a-half the restaurant's been open, he said he's never seen such a pay it forward phenomenon.

Owner Erin Van Epps said, "New customers came in and one of our regulars, long-time regulars was sitting at the corner and heard 'em excited about being here for the first time and decided to pay for their meal."

But the new customer didn't just take the deal. Instead, they also asked if they could pay it forward.

Maslowski recalled, "I was like 'Hey, ya know, somebody paid it forward to a table. That table now wants to pay for your table to pay it forward. So your meal is taken care of.'"

Van Epps said, "It ended up going on all night long,"

She said it reached 20 tables and counting by closing.

"And I'm talking about 50 or 60 dollar tabs. I'm not talking about just a coffee," Van Epps said.

Although the night ended, Van Epps said the giving didn't. She said the final customers bought a gift card to start it again on Sunday.

Van Epps said, "We ended up at about 30, 30 tables that paid it forward."

"Lowell is a really tight knit group. But I think West Michigan in general. I think people are just kind and giving. They want to be able to express that and show it. It was a fun experience," she said.

The chain may have ended Sunday, but it seems the spirit of giving isn’t gone. Today, a group of guys decided to pay for another table.