Georgia restaurant owner who sold Mustang to pay employees gifted new car
Charity Salyers, who sold her car to help pay for her employees gets a new vehicle thanks to a Savannah car dealership. (Liz Bucy, Vittles Restaurant)
SMYRNA, Ga. - The Smyrna restaurant owner who made a big sacrifice in selling her car so she could pay her employees last month had a bit of karma come her way within the last week.
Charity Salyers, the owner of Vittles Restaurant, sold her candy apple red Mustang GT 5.0 to help make ends meet for her employees.
"I've had to cut my staff back from 10 to 12 people per day to 2 people plus me," said Salyers told FOX 5’s Denise Dillon back in April.
Salyers has owned the Smyrna fixture that serves good old southern food for about a year. She said business had just started picking back up hen the coronavirus pandemic struck.
Savannah Volkswagen helped put Charity Salyers into a new vehicle after she sold her old one to help pay for her employees. (Liz Bucy, Vittles Restaurant)
Instead of laying off her employees, she chose to sell her car. She had kept her restaurant open for curbside pickup and even helped to keep her customers and employees in stalk with basics like toilet paper and masks.
"She's not trying to make money because this restaurant is not making money, she just cares that much," said Stacy Wingard, an employee, told FOX 5 back in April.
"I was kind of stuck against a wall so I prayed about it and then went and sold my car," said Salyers in April. "It was a Mustang GT 5.0, a very nice candy apple red."
Salyers said she got enough money to carry her through a month or so. Enough to give her employees a little cash and make sure her bills are paid.
"When she came back after selling her car, I think I cried, and she didn't. She said, 'Stacy, I had to, I have to make sure everybody is good'," said Wingard.
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Charity Salyers' new vehicle is the same color as her old car she sold to help her employees. (Liz Bucy, Vittles Restaurant)
Her story of personal sacrifice for her employees touched the hearts of many around the world including the managers at Savannah Volkswagen. Last week, they sent Salyers 2017 Toyota RAV4. The dealership is covering the down payment and 6 months of payments.
The new vehicle is red, just like her former red Mustang that she sold.
Salyers said she hopes she can return to business as usual soon.