A random act of kindness by a Dubuque restaurant employee was the genesis for a television commercial currently airing nationwide.

The commercial features Dubuque Chick-fil-A employee Bernie Tigges, and Peosta, Iowa, resident Shannon Hummel and her daughters Emma and Anna. It is part of Chick-fil-A’s “Little Things” series that highlights stories and connections shared between the eatery’s customers and employees, according to Dubuque Chick-fil-A owner/operator Justin Barnes.

The commercial features the quartet sharing a story that began February 3, 2023. On that day, the Hummels, who live in Peosta, were running errands in Dubuque and experienced a flat tire. They dropped their vehicle off at a repair shop and had an hour to kill. So, despite the chilly weather that day, the family walked to Chick-fil-A to grab a bite to eat.

Tigges, who was working at the restaurant, greeted the family.

“Shannon and the girls came in, and they looked really chilly,” Tigges says in the commercial. “I was not going to let them walk back.”

After the Hummels ate their food, Tigges gave them a ride back to their vehicle.

That act of kindness prompted Hummel to contact Chick-fil-A’s support center to share Tigges’ nice gesture, and the commercial was born. Everyone involved traveled to Chick-fil-A’s support center in College Park, Ga., to film the commercial in April 2023.

The commercial began airing March 25.

“On a daily basis, Bernie embodies our store’s heartbeat to ‘be a blessing and serve with excellence,’ and the lives of our community and customers are influenced for the better as a result,” Barnes said in a statement.

The commercial, titled “Warmest Ride,” can be viewed at tinyurl.com/DBQCommercial.