92-Year-Old Chick-fil-A Host Proves It's 'Never Too Late to Keep Doing What You Love'

“Serving others has always brought me joy,” Gilbert Martin tells PEOPLE in an statement of his work at a North Carolina Chick-fil-A

NEED TO KNOW

• Gilbert Martin, 92, has worked at a Chick-fil-A in North Carolina as a host for six years
• Martin says serving others brings him joy and allows him to build relationships
• The store’s owner praises Martin’s kindness and dedication, which have made him beloved by team members and guests

Mr. Gil loves putting a smile on customers' faces.

The 92-year-old man, whose name is Gilbert Martin but is affectionately known as Mr. Gil, has worked at the Chick-fil-A in Oleander, N.C., for the past six years. He tells PEOPLE in an emailed statement why his work at the restaurant has been special to him.

“I'm grateful I can still stay active and spend my days supporting our community,” he writes. 

WRAL reported that Martin was in the natural gas industry before working as a greeter at Sam's Club for over 12 years. Then, his job at Sam's Club ended.

“After about two months, I was bored, so I put an application in [at Chick-fil-A],” he told WRAL. The outlet said Martin now works Monday through Friday at the fast food restaurant.

Per the outlet, Martin cleans tables and floors, restocks sauces and keeps trays moving to customers.

“The main thing is that I take care of people out here first,” he told the outlet.

"I don't know what 92 is supposed to be, but I feel great,” he added. He said, “If you enjoy what you're doing, it's not work."

For Martin, his work has also been about building connections.

“Working at Chick-fil-A Oleander over the past six years has allowed me to meet so many wonderful Guests and Team Members, and those relationships have become such a special part of my life,” he tells PEOPLE in his statement.

“Serving others has always brought me joy because I believe that a smile and a kind word can make someone's day a little brighter,” Martin adds.

“I get a lot of people that are coming in just going to the doctor or just been to the doctor and got bad news, and so forth, and I'm able to be an encourager. The Lord gave me that," he told WRAL.

The store's owner-operator, Mike Perdue tells PEOPLE that Martin represents the “care and hospitality” the store hopes to provide guests.

“He brings joy to our Team Members and Guests through his genuine warmth, work ethic, and servant heart,” he adds. 

“Watching the response to his story has been incredibly meaningful because it reflects what we've known all along — his kindness leaves a lasting impression on everyone he meets,” he says. “We're honored to have him as part of our restaurant family."

"He's just a great person. You don't come across too many people like that," Perdue told WRAL. "Customers love him."

He told the outlet that Martin once had to take a few days off, saying that he might have had “a bad cold.”

“People were so concerned,” Perdue told the outlet, adding that customers asked, “Where's Mr. Gil, you know, is he okay?”

In terms of what Martin hopes for his impact to be — “I hope my story reminds others that it's never too late to keep doing what you love,” he tells PEOPLE.

And as for his future, “I don't plan to go anywhere else,” he told WRAL.

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