Mario Briseño became a viral sensation, almost overnight. Here’s why the message behind the post matters.
SAN ANGELO, Texas — A social media post went viral after a photo was taken at Texas Roadhouse in San Angelo. It’s a Facebook post with more than 42,000 shares, all because of which it was printed on a sheet of laminated paper.
The first two lines say: “Hello, my name is Mario and I am deaf. I’ll take care of you today.”
Mario Briseño is the server behind the message, and with the help of American Sign Language interpreter Gina Bouldin, we were able to conduct an interview. Briseño says that going viral was a surprise.
“I actually cried. I got pretty excited. My fiance and I did. I was wondering, are you okay? It was so unexpected that it went viral,” Briseño said.
Briseño remembers the meeting they had with the person who made the publication, at that moment they did not think anything.
“I started for the first time and just. I tried to be cheerful with her. I ask how your day is and then I saw that she took a photo. I didn’t think too much about it, and I waved to him. What would you like to drink? And she, she said, sweet tea,” Briseño said.
Briseño had various jobs in the past, but working as a server became possible when Mario’s brother, Celo, who also works at Texas Roadhouse, told his boss that Mario was interested in the position as a server.
“We had an interview and we talked like you would with any other employee. And I think the biggest thing that sold me is that I really thought I had a great chance to succeed and overcome any challenge that might come with this man, his smile. That was the most important thing I told him during his interview: That million-dollar smile is going to be what makes you money and that’s what makes you successful,” said Jeff Nowak, Managing Partner of Texas Roadhouse San Angelo. .
Mario has the same tasks as all the restaurant employees. Nowak says Briseño’s work ethic speaks for itself.
“He’s always been a guy you can count on. He has a great attitude and he has great energy,” Nowak said.
Mario has been a server for just over a month and the reaction from the San Angelo community has been overwhelming.
“Our guests have really been great. I mean, the people of San Angelo have been great and they’ve welcomed it with open arms. And there really hasn’t been a situation like that where there’s a lot of inconvenience or anything like that,” Nowak said.
Briseño says that despite the shares, likes and comments the post receives, what is important is the message behind it.
“I want to make sure that the deaf community shows… It shows that the deaf community can be equal to the hearing community and that we can do everything they can do. And it’s also a big change for the San Angelo community and I like to show that we can be equal. And I want other deaf people to realize that they can do it too,” Briseño said.
Mario enjoys waiting tables and would like to be promoted in the near future.
Source: news.google.com