Cafe owner's free breakfast gesture goes viral

BBC Two young boys wearing three-piece suits smile for a photo holding their thumbs up with a man wearing a red t-shirt which reads Scran. All of them are wearing flat caps.BBC
Nine-year-olds Jacob (left) and Louie (right), pictured with cafe owner Nick (centre), have since been helping out in the community

It is often said small acts of kindness go a long way - and so it has proved to be the case for two youngsters from South Yorkshire.

When Jacob and Louie found themselves 50p short to pay for a small breakfast at the Scran Cafe in Herringthorpe, Rotherham, owner Nick Stewart stepped in to help.

He gifted the friends, both aged nine, a meal each on the house - a kind gesture which made their day.

"It was just such a cute moment," Nick recalled.

"The guys were stood there counting their pennies and I just thought, what an opportunity to give something back to the community."

Louie's mum Gemma said her son "came back home and he was really over the moon with the gesture".

A video of the encounter has since gone viral, attracting comments from as far afield as New Zealand, Australia and the United States.

Two young boys in three-piece suits hold up hand signs and smile for a photo in front of a Radio Sheffield banner.
The boys have been enjoying their moment in the spotlight

The pair had since been "loving" their new-found fame during the summer break, according to Jacob's mum Chloe.

Jacob said: "All my friends we play out with have seen it and are like, 'Oh my God, is that Jacob and Louie?'"

"It's been incredible," said Nick.

"We have had people walking in and just giving us money as donations to pay forward."

Nick said some of that money had since been used to pay for making sausage sandwiches for homeless people in the local community.

Jacob and Louie returned the favour by helping to give them out.

"The guys' reaction to accepting the free breakfast was so wholesome, I just wanted to create more of those moments," said Nick.

"We already knew we'd had stuff like that, so it's nice to give back to those who need it," explained Louie.

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