Brian Maixner may not have had perfect teeth, but he had a sunny disposition and constantly had a smile on his face. It was this winning personality that got Maixner, a 45 year-old single father, hired by Doo Dah Diner owner Timrie Shibley and her husband in November 2013.
“The first thing we thought was, ‘What an outstanding server,’” Shibley said. “Yes, his teeth were offensive, but the second time you meet him you don’t think about his teeth. He smiles so big with eyes. He makes such a big impression.”
Maixner charmed customer Fred Boettcher at the Wichita, Kansas restaurant so much that he left him a $25,000 tip to get his teeth fixed. Boettcher felt sorry for Maixner after learning his teeth rotted due to tooth decay.
“He had a lot of dental issues as a kid and he told me ‘I can do this and I should do it,’” Maixner said. “That’s the way he looks at it.”
Maixner had never been able to afford dental care, and though he was self conscious about his teeth, he never let them affect his job. Boettcher said that it was his Christian faith that led to him giving Maixner the money to fix his teeth.
“The way to be satisfied in your life is to be kind to everybody and be as generous as you can possibly be,” Boettcher said.
Shibley was stunned when Boettcher told her he wanted to give Maixner the money.
“He just said, ‘I know this sounds crazy, but I want to help him,’” Shibley said. “He said he had done this for nine or 10 other people, and has lived a blessed life and wanted to help.”
Maixner got his new teeth on March 2, and he could not be happier with them!
“It’s so great. It’s a huge weight off of my shoulders,” Maixner said. “I just have this new appreciation for my health.”
While Maixner loves his new teeth, he said he would still be smiling without them.
“I just decided to smile through it and show people that there are still good people and no matter how bad you look, appearance isn’t everything,” he explained.
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