This New York City deli gives customers free food when they solve math problems

(Image credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

published 12 February 2020

Ahmed Alwan of the Lucky Candy deli in New York City is making math sweeter.

Alwan is a cashier at the Bronx deli, which is owned by his father, Saleh Aobad. Two weeks ago, Alwan, 20, began quizzing customers, telling them that if they solved a simple math problem, he would give them five seconds to grab anything they wanted from the store, free of charge. "All I wanted to do was help people, but I wanted to make it fun," he told CNN. Alwan shares videos of his customers on TikTok and Instagram, and says it's "a way to entertain and educate people in need while putting a smile on their face, too."

Alwan is a student at Bronx Community College, studying to be a pharmacist. He has been working at the deli for seven years, and knows that many of his customers struggle to afford their rent and utilities. He pays for all of the items that he gives away, as well as the fruit, muffins, and coffee that he distributes to homeless people in the area. Alwan's dad told CNN he is proud of his son, whose goodwill "spreads positivity throughout the community."

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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