Turning 95 deserves a big celebration. After all, there are only approximately 631,000 people alive in the United States who are 95 years old and older, according to the United States Census Bureau in 2020. So TikToker Collen Scott Hartel (@colleenhartel) and her family decided to throw her grandpa a surprise birthday party he would never forget. And they chose to host his iconic birthday party at his all-time favorite fast food restaurant: Arby's.
Hartel gathered nearly 20 family members to an Arby's in Lumberton, Texas. "We all live in/are from Beaumont! 😄 The only Arby’s in Beaumont is attached to the Loves gas station so we opted for Lumberton because it’s new, a stand alone building, and very nice!" she wrote in the comments.
She shared a touching compilation video with her TikTok followers of the family coming together. "Surprise 95th birthday for my Grandpa at his favorite restaurant, @Arbys He was so excited to have a jamocha shake! 🤠🥤," she captioned the video.
In the video, Hartel's grandpa walks into the restaurant with his wife and is surprised to see his entire family waiting inside for him. He is given a black 95th birthday sash to wear, as well as a 10-gallon hat that matches the Arby's logo (which he proudly wears the entire video). The restaurant is decorated with a 95th birthday banner, and the video pans to his birthday cake that says, 'Happy 95th Birthday, Cowboy!' that has a funny photo printed on it of himself wearing the 10-gallon hat next to his wife. The family sings happy birthday to him, and he blows out the candles on his cake. The video ends with the entire family posing for a photo together, with multiple generations present to honor him.
It's truly a celebration, and many viewers were itching to know what his Arby's order is. Hartel shared, "Beef & cheddar with Arby’s sauce, curly fries and a jamocha shake 🥰."
Arby's logo.Arby's/Wikipedia
Many more filled the comments with heartfelt well wishes and notes. One wrote, "awww I drove my mom 3 hours to get a hot dog from a place she used to go as a kid....yes a hot dog lol best day ever!", and Hartel responded, "The older you get the more you realize that these are the things that matter ❤️." Another viewer commented, "Now every time I wonder who’s keeping Arby’s in business I’ll think, Colleen’s grandpa ! 😭😭😭😭❤️❤️" The video touched another watcher who wrote, "this genuinely made me cry 😭 he looks so happy to have everyone there 🥹."
Others shared their special birthday stories of celebrations they had at fast food restaurants with their grandparents and older neighbors. "we had a bday party at whataburger for my old neighbor as a kid and I’ll never forget it :’) we rode over on lawn mowers like a lil parade," one wrote. Another shared, "We did this we my husbands great grandma except it was her 100th at Dairy Queen!" And another added, "My grandmas favorite restaurant was Wendy’s so we went there for her 93rd bday! Ugh I miss her and I love this video!"
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