A 92-year-old North Carolina man went viral over the weekend after NBC News told his story about his post-retirement work at the town’s Chick-fil-A.
A 92-year-old North Carolina man got so bored 2 months into retirement that he applied to work at Chick-fil-A...
— Matt Van Swol (@mattvanswol) July 17, 2026
...his smile, kindness, and passion for Jesus became so contagious that when he got sick and missed 3 days of work, an ENTIRE TOWN began asking where he was.
His… pic.twitter.com/VzGMEtopCM
Gilbert Martin of Wilmington, North Carolina worked in the natural gas industry for decades until his retirement. Soon after, he took a job at Sam’s Club for 12 and a half years, as a greeter, but his position was sadly eliminated. Martin says that after two months of not working, he became bored and filled out an application for a Wilmington Chick-fil-A.
Since then, he has become a local celebrity in Wilmington and guests have taken to referring to the 92-year-old as “Mr. Gil.” He has now worked at the local as a dining host for six years, working five days a week. At one point, Martin took sick leave after suffering a bad cold, according to his manager. His absence caused customers to launch inquiries into his well-being.
“I get a lot of people that are coming in, just going to the doctor or just been to the doctor and got bad news,” Martin said “I’m able to be an encourager. The Lord gave me that.”
“I don’t plan to go anywhere else,” Martin added.
A 92-year-old North Carolina man is drawing attention for the way he continues to serve others with joy, kindness, and a heart for Jesus at his local Chick-fil-A. Gilbert Martin, known to many as “Mr. Gil,” works Monday through Friday as a dining host in Wilmington, but those… pic.twitter.com/f9kjTtIBbq
— Walk with God (@WalkwithGod7) July 18, 2026
This 92-year-old man got so bored just two months after retiring that he applied for a job at Chick-fil-A.
— CatholicVote (@CatholicVote) July 17, 2026
Gilbert Martin's smile, kindness, and love for Jesus were so contagious that when he missed three days of work due to illness, the whole town started asking where he was.… pic.twitter.com/Juhi1ERmKP
Martin continues to share a Christ-like heart with the customers he serves today.