Meet The 91-Year-Old Who Works At Arby's Every Day Of The Week
Are we officially seeing the start of a new trend here? A short while ago we covered the inspiring story of Elizabeth Ann Mafford, who is still working at Chick-fil-A at the age of 91, whether for the love of providing the populace with chicken sandwiches or out of sheer economic necessity. Even if her motivation is money (or lack thereof), the inspiring part is the fact that she's able to face up to the daily grind in her 10th decade of life with a smile on her face and a work ethic that only the Greatest Generation seems to show.
Well, it seems we now have another 91-year-old hero in the fast food world. Like Mafford, Jack Burkett took on his fast food job in his 80s. And thanks to an interview he did with Indiana's WNDU, we know what motivates him to work at an Elkhart Arby's every single day of the week.
Jack Burkett frequented Arby's with his late wife
When Jack Burkett's wife was still alive, the Elkhart Arby's was their favorite place to dine out. As he explained to WNDU, they'd often eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner (or "supper," as he called it) at the restaurant. After Mrs. Burkett's death, her husband says he asked manager Rosemary Gresso whether he could work there for free, cleaning or doing whatever they needed. She told him they couldn't take on volunteers, but said they'd gladly hire him as an employee. He asked if he could start that day, but she told him to come in the next day, and that's just what he did.
Fast forward 10 years, and Burkett is still coming to work nearly every day of the year. Gresso says she doesn't even have to put him on the schedule; He just shows up, day in and day out, and is willing to tackle any task. Needless to say, she considers him her best worker. So, what drives Burkett to keep working if he doesn't need the money? It seems he's a huge fan of Arby's roast beef sandwiches, something he'd gladly eat every day and calls "out of this world." Burkett also enjoys the company, and calls the store's managers "the best in the Midwest." He says he'd like to work there until he retires, although he has no plans to do so just yet.