Owasso Sub Shop Customers Give Back So First Responders Can Eat Free

At one Owasso sub shop, families have been donating money so first responders and frontline workers can eat for free. The restaurant owner said this is a years-long tradition.

Monday, November 16th 2020, 5:37 pm



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At one Owasso sub shop, families have been donating money so first responders and frontline workers can eat for free. The restaurant owner said this is a years-long tradition.

If you are craving a sandwich you won't get anywhere else, Owasso's Giant Subs and Deli might just be the place for you.

"It is the only place like this around here. I know most of the customers by name," said employee Melissa Smittle.

They have uncommon sandwiches like the Turkey Ruben.

"That comes with our Cajun Spicy Turkey, we do Chipotle Mayo and then our Sweet Homemade Coleslaw," said Smittle.

It is about more than the food here; this place is about community.

"You have to make people feel special- remember their name, maybe remember their sandwich. Maybe remember they want something on the side, just something special," said Owasso's Giant Subs and Deli Owner Amy Livingston.

The customers here love this spot so much, they have been dropping off cash for employees to use to pay for lunches for others for years.

"It seems like the worse that is going on in the world, the more people do that too,” Smittle said. “During hard times, that is when you really see people step up.”

Because of that generosity, it is rare for a first responder or frontline worker to pay for their own meal at Giant Subs.  

Livingston and her husband Don took this spot over five and a half years ago. They made their dream of owning a local lunch spot a reality, until Don a healthy, avid runner, was diagnosed with cancer, and passed away.

"It is hard though, it is hard,” Livingston said. “I feel like he was the heart and soul of this place and I am trying to carry that torch- trying.”

Every day, they work to keep Don's memory alive, in the shoe donations, with pictures on the walls. The customers feel a connection to the people who work here. This is one big family and Don is still a very real part of it all.

"You just have to love on people,” Livingston said. “I think Owasso is just built on generosity, kindness and compassion. We just have the best customers in the world, it is crazy, I have always said that.”

 

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