Wilmington Chick-fil-A employee says it’s his pleasure to keep working at 92 years old

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Most people retire in their 60s, but for one local man, retirement is not in his vocabulary.

Most people stopping at Chick-fil-A go to ‘Eat Mor Chikin,’ but the Oleander Drive restaurant has another secret bringing people in, and it’s not their sauce. It’s Gilbert Martin.

“He’s a great person, you don’t come across too many people like that,” said Mike Perdue, owner and operator of Chick-fil-A Oleander.

Martin, affectionately known as Mr. Gil, has been working at the Chick-fil-A on Oleander Drive for the last six years as a dining host. He just turned 92 years old.

“I make sure the tables are clean, the floor is clean,” he said. “But the main thing is I take care of people out here first.”

Mr. Gil previously worked for decades in the natural gas industry. When he retired, he worked at Sam’s Club for over 12 years as a greeter until he says they got rid of his position.

“After two months, I got bored and put in an application,” said Mr. Gil.

Since that day, it’s been his pleasure to come to work at Chick-fil-A.

“If you enjoy what you’re doing, it’s not work, and I look forward to coming in,” said Mr. Gil. “It’s crazy, isn’t it?”

“You look better than I do, and I’m 69,” a customer said to Mr. Gil.

92, he says, is just a number and he’s proving it too.

“He had to take a couple days off, I think he had a cold,” said Perdue. “People were so concerned, it was crazy, ‘Where’s Mr. Gil? Is he okay?’”

Mr. Gil doesn’t just work one or two days a week, either; it’s a Monday through Friday gig, which he says gives him more opportunities to be there for others.

“I get a lot of people that are coming in, just been to the doctor, and got bad news,” he said. “I’m able to be an encourager; the Lord gave me that.”

Mr. Gil said he has no plans to leave and invites customers to say hi if they see him working.

“I don’t know what 92 is supposed to feel like, but I feel great,” said Mr. Gil.