Restaurant team of ten wins $250,000

Patience paid off for a group of ten coworkers at the Sunset Restaurant in Franklin, which is in Macon County, close to Tennessee and on the South Carolina border. Before the N.C. lottery debuted five years ago, someone from the team would drive to Georgia to buy tickets.

“When our state started the lottery, we made the switch.” said one member of the group, Susan Breedlove. “We’re glad we won it in North Carolina.”

One interesting wrinkle to the story is the team bought their big-winning ticket at a different store than they usually do. One player’s wife called and asked him to bring home a loaf of bread – and it was the Mega Millions ticket he bought at the Bi-Lo in Macon Plaza in Franklin that was the $250,000 winner. After taxes, each of the ten team members received a check for $17,000. “That's a lot of bread alright,” commented WLOS-TV reporter John Le.

“All ten of us needed it,” said owner Bruce Bryson. “I’m thankful it was sent our way... I think that we were supposed to win this, and we’re gonna use it well.”

Do you play jackpot games as part of a pool? Or are you looking to start one? Right here in the Lucke-Zone, we have some cool tools for you to use. Also, the Mega Millions jackpot for Friday's drawing is estimated at $312 million. If the jackpot rolls again, it’s expected to surpass the $400 million mark for the first time in history.

Pictured: "Sunset Restaurant Lottery Group” members Jacklyn Wilson and Susan Breedlove