Sweet photo captures teen Burger King employee escorting customer with 'terrible back' to his car

Burger King may be the home of the Whopper, but the Brandy Hill Plaza Burger King in Mechanicsville, Va., is also home to some of the kindest employees anywhere. Proof of that has come in the form of a now-viral photo taken Nov. 2. It shows 19-year-old Alexis Easter escorting an elderly man to his car after serving him a meal at the fast food restaurant.

Bystander Elizabeth Chandler captured the candid moment and shared it to Facebook because she was so moved by the act of kindness. “Shout out to the cashier at the Mechanicsville Burger King, making this world a little brighter. #spreadloveNOT hate,” she wrote.

Chandler told Yahoo Lifestyle: “Seeing her help this gentleman was so heartwarming. It’s so seldom to see people going out of their way for others and expecting nothing in return. Since posting this I learned that Alexis is only 19 and does this on a regular bases for any employee in need.”

Yahoo Lifestyle reached out to Easter, who was at work at the time of this article’s publication; we’ll update this story when we hear back from her. In the meantime, local CBS 6 caught up with the teen, who said the customer she is photographed with is a regular who goes by the name Mr. John. “The man always comes in the Burger King, so when he’s done I help him to the car because he has a terrible back,” said Easter, a student at Highland Springs High School. “When we get to his car we talk and I make sure he’s safe.”

She says her motto is, “Always go out of your way to help others.”

Easter said she’s just following in the footsteps of her fellow employees at BK, where kindness is contagious. “That’s the culture at that Burger King,” she told CBS 6. “Every employee I have ever seen goes so far out of their way for everyone. Another employee named Monica hands out plaques to those going through hard times, including my grandmother when she was going through treatment for cancer.”

The photo has been shared almost 500 times on Facebook, with commenters showering Easter and the entire Burger King staff with praise. But the teen’s biggest fan is undoubtedly her mother, Senora Easter, who can’t help but brag about her daughter. “She’s always been this way,” she tells Yahoo Lifestyle about the girl’s demeanor. “When I was sick, she took care of me. I had pneumonia, and she did everything for me.”

Senora tells Yahoo Lifestyle that as soon as she saw her daughter’s picture on Facebook, she started crying. “All the comments that she got — I’m still crying, really!” she says, adding that she was so proud of her daughter that she cleaned her room as a thank-you. “She deserved it. She’s a hardworking girl. She’s really wonderful. She loves to work, and I’m glad she doesn’t hang out on the street. She finished school. She graduated. I can’t ask for more.”

The original post has gotten such a positive reaction that word is bound to get back to Burger King’s management — in fact, people have proactively contacted managers to report on the uniquely kind staffers. “That BK actually has the nicest people ever in fast food service,” a customer commented. “I’ve emailed corporate several times to give the managers accolades about their associates there.”

Alexis Easter’s mom tells Yahoo Lifestyle that the teen is taking a bit of time off before she attends college — but in the meantime, she’s clearly keeping busy at work. Senora has also connected with Elizabeth Chandler, she tells Yahoo Lifestyle, and Chandler thanked her for the life-affirming gesture. In turn, Senora thanked Chandler for spreading the word about her “wonderful” daughter, who brings new meaning to having it “your way.”

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

• Town buys out entire doughnut inventory so owner can spend time with his ailing wife

• Daughter surprises mom with visit to ‘Sesame Street’: ‘This is the face of pure, unadulterated joy’

• ‘Faith in humanity – restored’: Stranger fulfills heartfelt request from disabled widow

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.