The food here tastes rich!
A Massachusetts diner served up its fifth million-plus-dollar lottery winner this week — as players flocked to the greasy spoon hoping to cash in on its lucky streak.
Old South Diner in Nantucket sold the winning $2 million Powerball ticket to Mary Haley, who said local lotto players meet at the restaurant because it’s a hotspot for hitting it big.
“It’s very exciting to have a local resident win,” said Haley, who works in the town’s finance department as a senior clerk. “I was born and raised on Nantucket.”
The Old South Diner in Nantucket, Massachusetts has produced five lottery winners in two years. Google MapsHaley’s windfall marks the fifth million-dollar-or-more lottery ticket sold at the restaurant in the past two years, according to the Nantucket Current.
The winning numbers for her drawing were 7, 21, 55, 56 and 64 — with a Powerball of 26 and a 4X Power Play.
Rachel Guerra, the Massachusetts Lottery’s deputy director of communications, called the restaurant’s good fortune a numbers game.
“The more tickets a store sells, the more likely they are to have a big winner. Old South Diner has consistently been among the top 10% of agents in recent years,” she told The Current.
Since its string of lottery wins began in March 2024, ticket sales at the diner have surged by 37%, the outlet reported. The eatery is now one of the top-performing lottery retailers in Massachusetts.
The Massachusetts State Lottery’s latest winner got a $2 million Powerball ticket. Scott Habermann – stock.adobe.comThe first big winner was Jose Fontanez, of Boston, who bought a $1 million scratch ticket for $10 on March 11, 2024.
Luck was also on the menu for Garen Downie, of Hyannis, who won a $2 million prize playing a “Lifetime Millions” scratch ticket at the diner on June 10, 2024.
Next, Sean Durnin won a $1 million prize playing a “$10,000,000 Bonanza” scratch ticket on August 20, 2024.
Just a few weeks ago, Yancy Contreras Menjivar, who owns a house cleaning business on Nantucket, hit it big with a $2 million winning scratch ticket she bought at the restaurant.
Haley now says she plans to spend some of her winning dough on a new car.
The diner bills itself as serving up “Authentic American and Chinese Cuisine,” noting on Facebook, “we are excited to be a part of [the] Nantucket community!”
