In a community, certain people always go the extra mile in making life better for everyone. For this particular neighborhood in Des Peres, Missouri, the Red Robin restaurant has always been proud of one of their servers who never fails to give her best in making people at ease and happy with their experience. Led by the “DUDE be nice” team, this community decided to throw an unforgettable party to celebrate this amazing server!
The “DUDE be nice” project that started it all
You may have heard of “DUDE be nice” as a brand known for their unique statement shirts, but there is more to this brand than just amazing clothing. It is a platform that aims to inspire people to build a happy community through creative ways of recognizing folks that do incredible and positive things.
Led by Brent Camalich, the platform’s head Dude, “DUDE be nice” has selected one special woman in St. Louis, Missouri to be the receiver of a special celebration made to recognize the remarkable things she has done as a server in Red Robin.
The lady under the spotlight
Out of 150 people who were selected to be the recipient of this wonderful recognition from “DUDE be nice”, only one was ultimately chosen, and this deserving person is none other than Colleen.
Kelly, her manager, and Rob, her area director, had only nice things to say about this kind mother of four. Even the other servers knew just how much Colleen made the Red Robin experience in their town better than anywhere else.
For 12 years, Colleen has served as a waitress at Red Robin, and people in the town always found her as a ray of sunshine whenever they came to visit. She has certainly made a lot of friends and has inspired many people to always drop by at the restaurant.
People truly respected her and looked forward to seeing her in the restaurant. According to the other servers, about 80% of people who go in ask whether Colleen was at work that day. Her presence is now one of the major reasons that customers kept coming back to the restaurant.
There was this couple who never failed to go to Red Robin every day. Colleen was always there to serve them and, over time, the three of them had grown to become real friends. When the wife died of cancer, Colleen urged everyone in the restaurant to set aside one day to remember and celebrate the life of the departed customer.
It was a moving gesture that was appreciated not only by the late woman’s husband but everyone in the restaurant’s management and staff. This only showed just how much Colleen cared for the customers, and this trait of hers is something that people in the community admire incredibly.
Her work ethic is also highly commendable. Her managers find her as a great employee who goes beyond just serving to make their customers feel at ease and welcome in the establishment. They always ask for Colleen’s assistance whenever a major party was held at the restaurant.
They relied on her not only because she was senior staff, but because she genuinely knows what will make every celebration worth remembering. Little did Colleen know that on that special Wednesday, this kind server will help in creating her very own party.
The surprise party
Finally, it was time to give Colleen the recognition and celebration that she deserved. On that Wednesday afternoon, everyone gathered to cheer for the amazing server and celebrate her outstanding service to the community.
Colleen was off duty that day and was called by her area director to help in running some errands for the “community event”. Being the reliable employee that she was, Colleen went to help her colleagues despite being out of work. She was assigned to buy some balloons and was expected to go back to the restaurant after a couple of hours.
While she was away, Brent’s team has put together the final touches to the surprise party. The “DUDE be nice” team found out through Colleen’s son, Adam, that she loved having a meal with her family. The team brought the dinner table from Colleen’s home to give her the family dining experience that she always loved.
And what good is a family meal if not everyone in the family is around to eat with? To make the celebration complete, Brent and his team at DUDE be nice flew Colleen’s daughter, Bethany, all the way from California!
Lastly, the team also noted that Colleen was fond of the band Griffin and the Gargoyles and so, they invited the band over to play at the party. Everything was now set and everyone was just waiting for the woman of the hour to arrive.
Brent, on the other hand, has another idea that will surely add to the surprise. He invited the local police and asked them to question poor Colleen once she gets to the restaurant vicinity. The cops were supposed to make her feel uncomfortable before she sees the big surprise by asking her about a previous incident where she accidentally received counterfeit money.
When Colleen finally arrived at the Red Robin parking area, the cops immediately stopped her and asked her about the counterfeit money. Everyone in the restaurant can see her and the cops talking and Colleen vehemently reasoned out that she did not know anything about it at all and was only receiving money from a customer. When she eventually reached the front door, the cop apologized for ruining her Wednesday until…
Colleen opened the door and was met with cheers and loud pops coming from the confetti poppers! She was totally caught off guard and was in utter shock as a colleague gave her a “DUDE be nice” shirt for her to wear. It was an amazing moment that Colleen certainly did not expect!
One by one, the surprises were revealed beginning with the dinner table waiting for her and her family to sit at and dine together. When it was time to bring out Colleen’s favorite, guacamole burger, she was even more surprised when she saw that her daughter from California came by to visit!
It was such a huge surprise for Colleen and she was totally in awe of what everyone in the community prepared for her. It was a spectacular moment and it did not end there!
Seeing her favorite band capped the surprise nicely, adding to the overflowing happiness that Colleen felt at that moment. Her family was with her and everyone in the community was there to celebrate her! Even her favorite band was present and it was such an amazing experience for the kind server.
Colleen’s story is inspiring. She was always ready to give a helping hand and the best of service. And now, the people in her community have given her a special gift that she will remember forever.
Watch Colleen’s amazing surprise party in the video below.
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