North Carolina Restaurant Gives "Praying in Public" Discount

Carrie Dedrick | Updated: Aug 04, 2014

North Carolina Restaurant Gives "Praying in Public" Discount

A restaurant in Winston-Salem, North Carolina offers a surprising deal: if patrons pray before their meal, they receive 15 percent off. Mary’s Gourmet Diner has been giving praying customers a break for four years, but the unpublicized discount is only just now gaining attention. 

Jordan Smith visited the diner and was surprised to see $6.07 taken off her $40.50 bill. When she posted a photo of the receipt to Facebook, it piqued national interest. 

“[We] prayed over our meal and the waitress came over at the end of the meal and said, ‘Just so you know, we gave you a 15 percent discount for praying,’ which I’d never seen before,” Smith said. 

Restaurant owner Mary Haglund said the discount is intended to be a kind gesture for people who take the time to give thanks. “For me, every plate of food is a gift. And I never take that for granted and when I see someone in a restaurant honoring their gratefulness at my table...it touches my heart,” she said. 

Publication date: August 4, 2014



North Carolina Restaurant Gives "Praying in Public" Discount