Owner Standing By Door Hoping For Customers Gets Sudden Influx After Facebook Post

January 1, 2024

Today's good news story comes from Norman, Oklahoma.

The owner of a hot dog establishment in Oklahoma got more than he expected when a customer's photo turned his slow day into a bustling success.

Credit: Nick Chappell / Facebook

Scott Hosek, owner of "Spirals: Hot Dogs & More" in Norman, found himself standing by the restaurant entrance on December 20, hoping for customers. Little did he know that a photo taken by a customer, Nick Chappell, and shared on social media would turn the tide.

Chappell, an Oklahoma Army National Guard member in the area for work, stumbled upon Spirals through Google Maps with a co-worker during their weekly hot dog Wednesday routine. Sensing Hosek's eagerness for customers, Chappell decided to capture the "wholesome moment" on Snapchat and shared it on Facebook with a positive recommendation for the restaurant.

The Facebook post garnered over 2,000 shares, leading to an influx of over 70 guests at the diner during Chappell's subsequent visit. Despite Chappell's offer to take down the post, Hosek insisted otherwise. Reflecting on the impact of social media, Hosek expressed his amazement at how unexpected strategies can be successful.

"To know that it was a humble guy that just saw our need and did what he could," said Hosek. "He doesn’t have a real following on social media, he hardly ever shares anything and to know that one post had so much power. It was super cool."

Chappell was pleasantly surprised by the post's success and the positive impact it had on the restaurant.

"I'm not a huge social media guy I typically don't share," Chappell said. "I don't even know really the words to describe it as but it made me even that much happier that I did make a post."

The two reunited at the restaurant last Thursday, sharing an emotional moment while discussing the unforeseen impact of the viral post.