MASSILLON, Ohio — Back in March, our Lindsay Buckingham took you inside Massillon's Greatness Cafe, where "great" is everywhere. It's on the walls, it's on your food container, and it's on your mind when you leave.
This update should make us all feel great.
On Thursday, owner Cyrus Ausar posted on the cafe's Facebook page that he had been given "a test" by a customer and was tipped $500 for passing that test. Here's what happened.
Ausar said two children walked into the cafe and said they were hungry, but had no money. Ausar has made it his practice to provide food to kids in need at Greatness Cafe and gave the children chicken sandwiches, lemonades, and chocolate chip cookies. As he was handing out the food, he observed that "it wasn't quite the same energy I usually feel from kids in need, but I do not judge."
The two children went outside to eat their free meal, came back inside to throw away the trash, and thanked the staff. Ausar noticed the kids got into a parked car across the street and realized that this had been part of a test. The father of the two children had been sitting in his car watching everything that happened.
According to Ausar, the father came into the cafe and said, "I heard you fed kids in need, but there's so much lying from business owners to promote their business that I thought it was a lie. Why would you take money out of your pocket to feed some kids you don't know? That is not your obligation as a business owner."
Ausar replied, "According to who?"
The father then broke down at the cash register and started crying. He told Ausar that he grew up extremely poor and recalled how embarrassed he had been when hanging out with his friends and not being able to buy food. The father donated $500 to help feed more kids, purchased Ausar's books, and asked if he could mentor/speak with his boys once a month.
"Honestly, I really do not like the test, but it is understandable. But like I always say, you never know what someone is going through. Treat everyone with respect, stand on your principles, and try your best to be better than you were yesterday. We are all on a journey," Ausar added.
See our previous story on the Greatness Cafe below:
