A man ordered 20 pizzas to feed the homeless — when the owner found out why, he refused to take his money

Many people do acts of charity, and there is nothing unusual about it. However, it turns into an amazing endeavor when people join forces and take the noble cause to the next level. A similar incident unfolded when a man walked into a pizzeria in the hope of receiving his order as quickly as possible; instead, the restaurant owner had some other plans in mind. The good Samaritan and content creator, Josh Liljenquist—who goes by @joshlilj on TikTok—shared how he wanted to help homeless people, and the restaurant owner felt it was a call for him too. Reflecting on the suggestion, the kind-hearted small business owner named Tommy decided to join in and hand out 20 pizzas to those in need.

“How much is it per pizza? Could I get 20 more?” Liljenquist asked the cashier after ordering one box. She was taken aback and inquired if he wanted it delivered immediately. “Like right now?” Hailey, who is also the cashier and Tommy's daughter, said. Tommy was initially surprised when he heard someone ordering 20 pizzas and wanted them fulfilled as soon as possible. 

“Dude, it's going to take a minute,” Tommy, the restaurant’s owner, standing next to Hailey, intervened. Tommy, who is Hailey’s dad, asked Liljenquist the reason he was ordering such a large number of pizzas. When the content creator explained that the food was meant for the homeless, Tommy dug deeper: “So, you're paying for the homeless?”

After Liljenquist nodded his head in agreement, Tommy took no time to assist him. “Can we help out?” asked the restaurateur. Liljenquist responded, “You don't have to, man.”

“Oh, we'd love to help out,” Tommy insisted. “Well, how about you make the pizzas, and we'll figure it out after?” Liljenquist suggested.

As the pizzas got ready, Tommy, along with the other staff members, took them outside the restaurant. "We'll help you bring them all. Where are we going?" he asked Liljenquist, to which he replied that he’d like to make the payment first. "No, we're taking care of it," the restaurateur retorted. "No, you can't. Dude, there are 20 pizzas," Liljenquist said, "I can't let you pay for all 20, seriously."

Tommy, who appeared calm while holding plenty of pizza boxes, sought reassurance that the food was indeed meant for the homeless. "You're not just taking this and going to have a party, right?" the owner asked. Liljenquist seemed ecstatic after the owner decided to be part of the noble act.

Tommy and Liljenquist hugged each other before heading to the street outside the restaurant. After the hug, the scene shifted to the street where Tommy and Liljenquist were going to feed the homeless. Before feeding the homeless, Tommy said a final prayer: “Father God, we want to thank you for giving us the honor of helping out people in the community that need help, that need you, Lord. We want to ask you to come into their lives, both by feeding them with these pizzas that we have, Lord, and then feeding them with your word and with your presence, Lord, because you are all where life is found, Lord.” After the prayer, they proceeded to serve pizza to the homeless. 

Their heartwarming act struck a chord with many on social media, who replied with congratulatory messages. @mrsgraham444 lauded, “Without hesitation, this man went from making a profit to fulfilling promises.” @user5208415078523 echoed similar sentiments: “Drop the location so everyone can go support this amazing man and his family business.”

You can follow Josh Liljenquist (@joshlilj) on TikTok for more uplifting content.