Man ‘paid it forward’ at a pizza shop after a big order was never picked up

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG/Gray News) - A pizza shop in Ohio was left holding the bag after someone failed to show up for a big order. The story made the rounds on social media, and it caught the eye of another small business owner.

What happened at PizzAroma in Maumee is a great example of how a simple act of kindness can have a profound impact.

PizzAroma has three locations. The Maumee store got a big order last week.

“A lady called and placed an order for 16 pizzas to be picked up the next day. The next day came, and she called right before the order was to be ready. We told her it’s in the oven, and then she never showed up,” Rocky Keefer, the manager said.

The 16 pizzas had to be thrown away, and the restaurant was left with an unpaid bill of $112.

“I can’t see why someone would do that to anybody, let alone a small business,” Keefer said.

Fast forward to this week, and the shop got another call for a big order. It was a man saying he wanted to pay for those 16 pizzas that were never picked up.

“I didn’t believe it at first. I was thinking, ‘Is someone trying to do it again?’ He said he wanted to pay on the phone, so then I knew it was not a scam. People like that, there aren’t many out there anymore. It was like an angel calling and saying, ‘I am going to help you out,’” Keefer said.

Travis Truesdell is the man who made that call. When he heard about what happened, he wanted to help. So he picked up the $112 unpaid tab for the original order and even bought two more pizzas.

“I have a lot of gratitude for people who have helped me out in similar situations where I was in need and they helped me with no strings attached. I was happy to be in a place to pay it back,” Truesdell said.

Truesdell is also a small business owner and an Army veteran. He said he even worked in a pizza shop when he was younger.

“Any time you can right a wrong, when you have the ability or luxury, why not do it?” Truesdell said.

So no matter how you slice it, this story is a great example of the power of reaching out when you can.

“Life is too short, and as much bad as there is going on in this world, why not do something good?” Truesdell said.

Keefer said Truesdell’s generosity didn’t end with the order. He said Truesdell also left a big tip for the staff.

There will be changes at PizzAroma because of what happened. Customers ordering 10 or more pizzas in advance will now have to pay upfront.

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