First responders, law enforcement officials, and emergency workers risk their lives every day to protect our communities.

Regardless of how long it takes or what time it is, they constantly try to finish their work, occasionally putting in lengthy hours.

So these four Louisiana police officers decided to go to their local Outback Steakhouse for dinner after a long, tiring day.

They had no idea what sort of surprise awaited them when they finished their lunch.
Four on-duty local police officers went to refuel at the Outback Steakhouse in Slidell, Louisiana, after work, according to Fox8.

Everything went according to schedule and as usual.

Everything about the evening—even the delivery of their dinner—went as planned. That is, until the police got a startling surprise when they opened their receipt.

While dining at Outback Steakhouse, a waiter named Zoë Rao remarked, “They’re the sweetest guys.” She added that it was fun to serve them.

But what happened next attracted a lot of attention on social media.

Manager Arline Wood had been there for eighteen years and knew the police were regular clients.

She and waitress Zoë Rao devised a plan together.

When the time came to pay the $67 bill, the officers were taken aback by what they saw displayed on their receipt, but they soon discovered it was on the house.

The manager and server not only paid their tab but also wrote a kind note on the ticket thanking them for their volunteer work.

It warned, “Take caution!” Both at the top and below was written, “Thank you for your service!” We wish everyone a pleasant supper!

They have the community in mind. They care about each and every one of us. These people are incredible. “Our whole police force is amazing, and these guys at night, I went to Zoë and I said, let’s take care of it,” said Arline Wood.

It appears that the cops left a substantial gift as a sign of gratitude.

To thank the two Outback Steakhouse employees, the Slidell Police Department later posted a photo of the receipt on their Facebook page.

It instantly went viral.
However, that’s not at all what Arline Wood or Zoë Rao wanted. They did not want their incredible performance to be seen by everyone.

When asked about it later, Arline Wood actually acknowledged that the attention had been a bit too much to handle.

“I received a call early in the morning and wondered what you were talking about.” Wood reflected.

I was getting phone calls from people, and then we saw it on Facebook, and then on this website, and that website. We didn’t do it for the attention because, well, I hate attention of any kind.

But might something good come out of all the publicity?