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Burger King employee who never missed a day of work in 27 years receives over $270K in donations
Kevin Ford received a "goodie bag" for working 27 years at Burger King, never missing a day of work. But his daughter didn’t think that was enough.
LOS ANGELES - Kevin Ford, the Burger King employee who captured the hearts of many with his incredible work ethic—never missing a day of work in 27 years—has taken a new and exciting step in his life.
After receiving over $400,000 in donations from well-wishers across the country, Ford has used the funds to open his very own food truck, fulfilling a longtime dream and transitioning from fast-food employee to entrepreneur.
Ford's journey from Burger King to business owner
Ford's story first went viral in 2022 when his dedication to his job at Burger King was recognized, albeit modestly, with a small gift bag that sparked a wave of public support. The simplicity of the gift—a movie ticket, some candy, and a Starbucks cup—stood in stark contrast to his 27 years of unwavering service, and it resonated deeply with people around the world.
The video attracted tens of thousands of views and likes. Many users on social media expressed shock and dismay that, for Ford’s loyalty, he maybe should’ve been rewarded with something more substantial.
But being thankful person he is, Ford said he was simply honored to have received the gift and the nod.
"I was honored, it was nice and I loved it," Ford said. "One lady’s been there for 35 years, they didn’t get anything that I know of so I was happy."
Ford explained he even gave some of his gifts away to his coworkers in thanks for their gratitude.
But Ford’s daughter thought more needed to be done to show appreciation for his inspirational work ethic.
Unbeknownst to Ford, she had set up a GoFundMe to help raise money as an extra way to celebrate her father’s career milestone. The fund would go on to raise nearly half a million dollars.
With the funds, Ford eventually decided to embark on a new journey by starting his own food truck business with his daughter, according to TMZ. His food truck, named K27Y, combines his initials and the number of years he worked at Burger King, serving as a symbol of his perseverance and new beginnings, Ford says.
Ford recently told TMZ that he purchased the trailer for his new business for roughly $20k where he and his Le Cordon Bleu-trained daughter plan to make delicious burgers and hot dogs for future customers.
TMZ reports that ford was also able to use some of the funds to buy a new house in Nevada earlier this year. There he plans to do pop-ups of his new business.
Ford recently took to Instagram to share the exciting news of his food truck's launch. In a post, he expressed his gratitude for the support that made his dream possible and gave his followers a glimpse of K27Y in action.