Man sang at McDonald’s drive-thru to cheer up customers during the pandemic—it turned into a full-blown performance
Some people go an extra step to do their job well. However, a drive-thru worker at McDonald's took his service to the next level to put a smile on his customers' faces. The man, Daniel Marshall, worked at the McDonald's in Arden Hills, Minnesota, during the COVID pandemic and would sing to his customers as they drove in to get their orders. People were quite surprised and impressed by the performance and eventually Marshall's popularity grew, per Land of 10,000 Stories.
Marshall would sing the restaurant chain's jingle and heartily welcome the customers back in 2021. The people were delighted by the singing and the service. "Really puts a smile on my face," one customer remarked. "Who sings to you anymore in this day and age?" another woman went on. Marshall greeted the customers, often paid them a compliment and sang their orders. People looked significantly happier as they drove away with their food. However, things were not always easy for Marshall, who was diagnosed with autism in elementary school. Many of his classmates would tease him and call him names. "I was different from a lot of people." After graduation, Marshall worked at another burger place where the situation wasn't ideal either.
His mom, Cheryl Marshall, shared how the man was subjected to constant criticism. "Every day, they would say to him, 'You just need to quit. Isn't there somewhere else you would like to work?'" the mom recounted. She was worried about her son, but things changed when Marshall started working at the McDonald's location with his manager, Ashley Sakora. Sakora could understand Marshall's situation well because her youngest son, Liam, is autistic, too. Her son is hyper-focused on things related to space and Sakora believes that customer service is what's important to Marshall. "Everything he has, he puts into that." The man not only received praise from his manager, but also from the highly satisfied customers he brought joy to with his positive energy.
Hundreds of customers praised the man since the day he joined the outlet. Tim Baylor, the owner of the Arden Hills McDonald's, noticed Marshall's work because of all the reviews. "He literally makes people's day. Daniel is what you want." As Marshall sang near a crosswalk, Baylor surprised him with a billboard that read, "Ba da ba da da. We are lovin Daniel." Marshall added, "It's home. It is a brand new opportunity for me to be somebody in the world." The performance became the man's trademark and someone spotted him working and putting up his usual performance at Mesa, Arizona, a few years later. The man moved back to Minnesota in 2025 and went back to work at his old workplace.
The old customers were super happy to witness Marshall's daily performances all over again. Marshall's mom and his manager were both proud of the work he'd done. People appreciated the young man in the comments section of the video. @carolynboles-p4g wrote, "Both moms have a right to be proud of their autistic sons. They are amazing in their own special way." @BlueTurtle1719 commented, "He is a great singer! He has made a lot of people happy. He will go far...Blessings to him!" @nelks1284 remarked, "What a wonderful person! We need more Daniels. It wasn’t random, it was God!"
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