Free meal for Canada man who walked to restaurant in heavy snow only to find it closed

The man was seen on CCTV footage falling to his knees in disappointment after finding Nicey's Eatery, a Toronto restaurant closed. (Screengrab from video posted on Instagram by Nicey's Eatery)

A man in Canada walked to a restaurant in heavy snow only to find it closed. A video of him dropping to his knees in disappointment is being widely shared on social media.

The clip shows the man making his way to the restaurant in Toronto in Canada in thigh-deep snow. On seeing the eatery shut, he falls to his knees. At this point, he is half-buried in snow.

The episode was caught on the restaurant’s CCTV camera. The restaurant apologised to man in an Instagram post on January 18.

“To our loyal customer, we don't know who you are but we will be looking out for you,” the restaurant, named Nicey's Eatery, said. “We are terribly sorry the restaurant was closed. We feel your disappointment and hope to see you soon.”

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A post shared by Nicey's Eatery (@niceys.eatery)

The restaurant offered the man free food. “Whatever you had on your mind to purchase today, that meal is on us,” it added.

Nicey's Eatery owner Valerie Lai told Global News that she had kept the restaurant shut to so her staff would be safe from a blizzard. Lai added that she was in disbelief watching CCTV footage of the man.

Lai promised the customer would get a free meal on his next visit to her restaurant.

“The meal, the drink, the appetizer, the dessert, rum cake or even a beer, if he drinks,” she told Global News. Just make sure that he gets his meal. And I think maybe he wanted to come because he wanted an island experience to take something home to feel like he escaped the cold. But obviously we disappointed him and I’m really sorry that happened.”