A waitress at a small lunch restaurant in Michigan opened her eyes wide Monday when she received a generous tip of US$10,000, on a bill of… only $32.43.
“(When) I looked down and saw the $10,000, I hugged him right then and there. I didn’t even know his name yet… but you don’t see this kind of generosity very often,” waitress Linsey Boyd told American television channel ABC 57 on Wednesday.
Monday afternoon, the day passed rather calmly at the small restaurant The Mason Jar Cafe, in Benton Harbor, Michigan, when the mother served lunch to a customer.
Except that when it came time to pay, the man named Mark, who was in town for a friend’s funeral service, decided to add a few thousand dollars in tips, in honor of the deceased, explained the American media.
For the employees, the gesture transformed an ordinary afternoon into a real movie scene, especially since the waitress decided to pay it forward, sharing the amount of US$10,000, equivalent to nearly US$13,500. $ CAD, with the seven other employees on duty.
“To see (this kind of gesture) on the front lines – and not just read about it or see it (on television) – and for it to happen to our small local community is really special. She totally deserves this tip, it couldn’t have happened to a better person. She’s a great mother and employee,” manager Tim Sweeney told ABC 57.
The employee, who has worked in the industry for 17 years, plans to use the amount to pay for her daughter’s driving lessons. She hopes her story will snowball, inspiring others to take generous actions.
“It doesn’t have to be a $10,000 tip either, but just doing something to brighten someone’s day can sometimes spiral,” the waitress added, grateful.
