Johnson County Grandma Forms Surprising Friendship With Four High-school Drive-Thru Workers

Johnston County Grandma Forms Surprising Friendship With Four High-School Drive-Thru Workers

• By Ashlyn Myers, TheStatehouseFile.com
  FRANKLIN, Ind—It was a typical day for Franklin’s grandma Sue Davis. She had just left her condo and wanted to grab a fresh glass of unsweet tea before her daily workout at the park and recreation building.

  Sue had been a tried and true fan of McDonald’s tea, but on this particular day, the drive-thru line was too long. She decided to test out Burger King’s tea instead. Little did she know, she would find much more than just a refreshment.

  Almost immediately, Sue said she was impressed by the warmth and kindness of the staff. As she continued to visit, she grew fond of four specific young employees in particular: Nate Whetstine, Isaiah Klein, Owen Dawson and Manny Danso. Despite being only in high school, Sue said the young men were “some of Franklin’s finest.”

  “I was just so impressed with their kindness and respect,” she said. “They were just … for some reason, they were so good to me.”

  The four men got to know Sue and her love for tea, and before she knew it, she was one of their regulars.

  “They would hear my voice and say, “We got ya! Come on around,” she said.

  While Sue said that she and the four high-schoolers didn’t talk about anything specific, they did share a love of sports. Davis is a retired physical education teacher who worked in the Center Grove school district. She said she always asked them about school and hobbies while also checking up on them and how they were doing.

  Spreading The News

  Monday through Friday, their relationship continued to grow through the drive-thru window. Wanting to share some of the positivity she had experienced, she decided to post about the young men on the City of Franklin Chat, a Facebook group for Franklin residents. Through this post, she was able to get in touch with their parents and also found out that she had taught Nate’s mother in class years before.

  The post had an overwhelmingly favorable response, receiving over 370 likes and 40 comments either praising Davis for her reputation within the community or complimenting her four young friends. Some also were just happy to hear about something happy, especially since the friendship was formed in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

  Group members shared gratitude with Sue for sharing her story, saying things like:

  “​​Isn’t it so nice to read positive stories like this right now?! Thank you!”

  “Absolutely wonderful story!!”

  “Awesome kids! And awesome of you to post this!”

  As Sue stayed a loyal customer of the franchise, she slowly said goodbye to each of the four young men as they graduated high school and left Burger King.

  Nate said he’ll always remember Sue and described her as “the nicest, sweetest person you’ll ever meet.”

  Turning The Page

  Sue was heartbroken when she found out the Burger King she always visited would close permanently in December 2021, partly because of the pandemic. She shared a follow-up post on the same Facebook group, calling her experience with the restaurant and its four employees “one of the best, kindest stories” of her life.

  Moving forward, each of the young men plans to continue their careers and education, with some of them even playing their sports on a college level.

  “I wish them well and success,” Sue said. “Again I say, these four young men are Franklin’s best. Will never forget them.”

  FOOTNOTE: Ashlyn Myers is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.