Waitress Notices That One Of Her Tables Is Praying Before The Meal, Adds A Line To Their Receipt

There are a number of businesses that declared their affiliation with the Christian religion. When you come up with the list, you’ll probably include Hobby Lobby and Chick-fil-A. Not only do these stores shutter their doors on Sunday, to give their employees a mandated day of rest, but they also ascribe to other religious principles as well. But one restaurant in North Carolina proves that they take their commitment to the principles of religion by offering a generous discount to any customers who offer a prayer before enjoying the bounty of their meal.

The restaurant is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. And when a server at Mary’s Gourmet Diner notices customers praying at the table before a meal, they make sure to give a 15 percent discount off the bill. Owner Mary Haglund attests that the discount is nothing new but something she has been giving to her praying customers for four years.

Mary doesn’t advertise the reduction in price. She prefers to have it happen organically. She wants to reward people who pray in her restaurant and give them a little surprise when they get the bill at the end of their meal. In a way, it’s her way to bless them in return for bringing prayers into her establishment.

Jordan Smith noticed her discount when he offered a prayer before his meal. As a faithful customer, he shared a photo of his receipt on Facebook and gave credit to Mary for being so generous.

Before long, the world discovered Mary’s discount and Orlando radio station Z88.3 Orlando shared the image to their followers.

The receipt showed a subtotal of $40.50, but after the 15 percent “praying in public” discount, Jordan Smith’s bill dropped substantially.

Smith said she had no clue the diner was so generous with its religious customers.

“(We) prayed over our meal and the waitress came over at the end of the meal and said, ‘Just so you know, we gave you a 15 percent discount for praying,’ which I’d never seen before,” Smith told HLN.

Nevertheless, Smith believed that Mary deserved attention for her policy and shared an image of the receipt online. She never expected the response that followed.

“I just innocently posted it to my Facebook page, and it’s been really fun to see where it’s gone from there.”

Although Mary is happy that the public adores her praying policy, she just wants there to be more good in the world. In an interview with The Blaze, Mary said:

“For me, every plate of food is a gift. And I never take that for granted, and when I see someone in a restaurant honoring their gratefulness at my table, it touches my heart.”

Mary describes herself as a very spiritual person.

“We are so fortunate in this country. It’s just a moment of faithfulness about the plate of food.”

If giving a 15 percent discount encourages more gratitude, Mary is all for it. She hopes her policy inspires others to pray more.

What do you think about this restaurant policy?