Gold Star

Matt Rafferty, owner of the Whistle Stop in Birmingham, discovers that not ‘all good deeds go unpunished’
3406
Photograph by Fred Levine

The national spotlight keeps shining on Matt Rafferty, the 35-year-old owner of the Whistle Stop restaurant in Birmingham whose generous offer earned him mentions on NBC Nightly News, National Public Radio, and the CBS Early Show.

When his “Name Your Price” offer got him an appearance on Inside Edition, TV personality and writer Deborah Norville took note and contacted him, saying she was inspired by his idea and the power of giving back.

 

Rafferty’s plan for helping customers during the recession began when he was thinking about how to get people out of their homes, he says. I wanted to “help those that were struggling worse than me,” he says. His promotion allowed customers to pay what they thought the meal and service were worth.
This month, Rafferty will again be in the public eye. He’s included in Norville’s new book, The Power of Respect (Thomas Nelson, $19.99).