When you work as a bartender or waiter, you should always expect unusual encounters with customers. That was what happened to this waitress on a shift that started out like any other. Needless to say, she had no idea what she was in for when she served this group of men. It was truly like any other shift that she ever had!
The Alarm Bells Sounded
She could not help but feel worried. This waitress simply did not understand what the men wanted from her! They asked her to go to the back room with them. Alarm bells sounded in her head. She knew that she had to get out of there and seek help as quickly as she could.
The Alarm Bells Sounded
She Had No Time To Relax
This story revolves around a waitress called Ashley Latella, who worked at the Seagrape Café in Fairfield. She had been on the night shift when a group of men walked in. At the time, the restaurant saw a lot of traffic. This was not unusual since it was the holiday season, but it was hard to keep up with the orders.
She Had No Time To Relax
More And More People Came In
Students kept walking into the restaurant and sliding into the booths. Ashley saw three men enter the restaurant. They caught her eye since they did not look like the other parents. Carlos Carmo, the manager of the restaurant, noticed the group of men as well. However, he later lost track of them.
More And More People Came In
She Did Her Job
Ashley approached their table to ask for their orders. She noticed that they had been behaving rather strangely. For one thing, they ordered a lot of rounds. Whenever she walked away from the table, she could feel their eyes on her. When she returned, however, they would all be silent. What gives?
She Did Her Job
In This Line Of Work
She had been working as a waitress for some time already. She knew that a quiet group of patrons could be difficult. On a normal day, she would simply swap tables with a male member of the staff when she felt uncomfortable. However, that particular shift was too busy for such an arrangement.
In This Line Of Work
They Had A Hidden Agenda
You should know that the Seagrape Café was a student bar. This was one of the reasons it did not make sense for the men to be there. It was clear that they were older than the rest of the patrons at the time. They stuck out like a sore thumb. Her instincts told her that the men had some kind of hidden agenda…
They Had A Hidden Agenda
Not What She Expected
In the past, Ashley had dealt with people from all walks of life. Some of them were nice, others were just all right. There were patrons who were just downright unfriendly and rude. However, she had never before seen a customer that would not pay their check. She was dumbfounded by this turn of events…
Not What She Expected
It Was Only The Beginning
Soon enough, it was time for Ashley to give the men the check. Closing time was approaching, and she could not wait to get out of there. She was surprised by what they told her once she asked for their payment. It turned out that this was only the beginning…
It Was Only The Beginning
What They Had In Mind
She wondered what was going on. Maybe the men wanted to drink some more. One of them slipped the folder with their check under his arm. When she asked for it, he would not hand it over to her. He made sure to only hold it out enough for it to be out of her reach. It was frustrating to be teased like that.
What They Had In Mind
No Time To Play Games
Ashley was too tired from the shift to play games with him. He stared right into her eyes, pushed back his chair, and got up. To her confusion, his friends did the same thing. He did not even say a word, only motioned towards the door of the back room. The man signaled for Ashley to follow, but whatever for?
No Time To Play Games
A Mix Of Confusion And Fear
This was not at all typical behavior. She had no idea what they were trying to do and even felt scared of them. The man was insistent and went up to her. He whispered something in her ear, although she could not hear him thanks to the loud music and background noise. What did he want?
A Mix Of Confusion And Fear
What To Do Next
She assumed that the men wanted to cover the bill in private. But what was there such a need for secrecy in the first place? Ashley felt terrified and could feel her heart racing. She scanned the room as she looked for her manager. Were the men planning to complain about the service that she gave them?
What To Do Next
Not Sure What To Do
Over the years, Ashley had sadly gotten used to advances from her patrons. She did not know if this was what was going on at the time. But what else was she supposed to think? All she knew at the time was that she did not feel safe. She was scared to head into the back room with the three men.
Not Sure What To Do
She Asked For His Help
It was a good thing that she got to mention it to Carlos, who rushed past Ashley. He saw the fear in her eyes and knew that she required help. She felt relieved to be with him and quickly explained what was going on. We are glad to hear that he decided to take it from there as soon as he heard the story.
She Asked For His Help
The Customer Is Not Always Right
Ashley still went to the backroom, but she felt more at ease now that Carlos was with her. They wanted to know what the men wanted. He assumed that they were unhappy with the service that they received. Maybe they wanted to complain. They had no idea that they were exactly where the men wanted them.
The Customer Is Not Always Right
The Need For Privacy
She knew that her suspicions were correct once they entered the backroom. The men told her that they had been watching her the whole night. This only goes to show that she had not been imagining any of it. But why did they feel the need to observe her the entire time anyway?
The Need For Privacy
They Wanted To Explain
The sad truth is that patrons tend to overstep boundaries at times. They would sometimes cross the line between friendly chitchat and inappropriate behavior. It can happen by accident, but Carlos wanted to be on the safe side. He took his job seriously and knew that it was his duty to keep his employees safe.
They Wanted To Explain
The Truth About The Check
At last, it was time for the moment of truth. The men explained what was going on at long last to both Carlos and Ashley. They saw that they could not help but notice how the bartenders had been on their feet throughout the shift! They said that they were impressed by their hard work.
The Truth About The Check
She Felt Very Relieved
Carlos was extremely relieved to hear that this was the issue. It did not look like the men posed any danger to them at all! He was happy that he decided to accompany Ashley to the backroom and witnessed that moment all for himself. But more than anything, he was glad that it was nothing bad.
She Felt Very Relieved
He Could Not Believe His Eyes
One of the three men gave him back the folder with the check inside of it. Carlos was stunned when he saw the amount that was on the gratuity line. Were his eyes playing tricks on him? After all, there were two zeroes and a five on it… They only ate food that cost $112 but left them a tip of $500. Whoa.
He Could Not Believe His Eyes
Take Another Look At It
The manager was shocked and immediately thanked the men for the generous tip. However, the men only chuckled at that and told him to look even more closely. Carlos then took another look at the number that they wrote on that portion of the check. He was totally shocked by what he saw there.
Take Another Look At It
The Actual Amount
As instructed, Carlos looked at the space for gratuity on the piece of paper. This was how he found out that they did not only leave behind a tip worth $500! No, the truth was that they left behind a tip of $5,000. He missed an entire zero, but it only made him feel even more incredulous.
The Actual Amount
The Mysterious Men
Once Ashley and Carlos calmed themselves down, it was time to ask the important questions. First of all, who were these men? And did they really mean to leave such a big tip? If so, what exactly was it about their restaurant that made them want to give away so much money? They were happy but confused.
The Mysterious Men
Doing The Lord’s Work
One of the men told them that they were part of a group known as “Tips for Jesus.” The mission of their organization was ‘to do the Lord’s work one tip at a time.’ The men had the financial means to help others. It was how they wanted to spread the word of God! There was more…
Doing The Lord’s Work
On A Mission
The men told them that they had been traveling across the United States. It turns out that their plan was to drop by restaurants and leave big tips for the industrious servers. They had already given away $11,500 in tips in Manhattan! After that, the story started to spread all over social media.
On A Mission
More Stories Came Out
People from different parts of the United States stepped up and talked about their own experiences after that. Many netizens wanted to know what the lucky servers did with the money that they received. Ashley, for one, knew what to do with the windfall. Trust us, her plan will warm your heart!
More Stories Came Out
A Generous Person
Ashley truly had a good heart. After receiving the huge tip, she already knew what to do with that much money. It is not every day that you get so much money out of nowhere. We are sure that you will get an even better sense of her once you hear about the act of kindness that she did!
A Generous Person
What To Do With It
After she was given the huge tip, Ashley could not help but feel some responsibility. She knew how lucky she was to be the recipient of it and decided to pay it forward. The waitress went to a local toy store and purchased a lot of toys! She then donated these things to a charity. How nice is that?
What To Do With It
She Wanted To Help
As you can imagine, she felt overwhelmed by the sudden windfall. We are glad that she did not decide to keep all of it to herself. She used all of the money to help out “Al’s Angels.” This was not the first time that she helped the needy, however. Let us hear what else she had done for them in the past.
She Wanted To Help
Spreading Love And Joy
In reality, she had been collecting blankets and toys, as well as non-perishable food items for some time already. Ashley had always wanted to help this charity. She even talked to a couple of her co-workers about it, asking them to donate anything that they could. As you can see, she truly had a good heart!
Spreading Love And Joy
The Right Gift At The Right Time
In this sense, the “Tips for Jesus” men had come into her life at the perfect time. They had no idea that they were bestowing all that money to a kind person. It felt like fate, in a way. If you ask us, it just shows that kindness will beget kindness in the end. There is a lot of acts of kindness that go unnoticed.
The Right Gift At The Right Time
Their Loyal Regulars
Let us take a look a Christopher Nardelli, who owns a restaurant in upper Northwest Washington. Blue 44 opened its doors four years before the incident in question happened. It had something to do with a loyal patron who lived in the area and went to the restaurant a couple of times a month.
Their Loyal Regulars
More Than Just Work
This customer always went back for their gumbo! Apparently, this dish by Blue 44 is famous in the neighborhood. Are you ready to crave some of it? What made it stood out from the others would be the dark roux base and the chicken and andouille sausage. It was a hit among the customers of the eatery.
More Than Just Work
A Part Of Their Family
This man would even keep in touch with James Turner, the chef, through email. They would talk about food pairings. Among other things, they would discuss which drinks go best with which dish. Aside from that, they liked to talk about the new offerings on the menu. The staff treated this patron like family!
A Part Of Their Family
Their Open Communication
Once, Turner sent him an email. The chef wanted to know when the patron next planned to visit the restaurant so that he could have the gumbo ready by then. This is a clear indication that the man was more than just another regular customer to the members of the Blue 44 staff!
Their Open Communication
One More Gumbo Night
There was a time when the patron dropped by with a group of friends. As usual, they got the gumbo. Once they were done with their meal, they paid the check and left the restaurant. The staff failed to notice that the check remained on the table until the party had already walked out the doors.
One More Gumbo Night
A Huge Surprise
Later that night, the bartender realized that no one had picked up the check. Laura Dally knew well enough that it came with a good tip. After all, the regular customer in question had a habit of leaving behind huge tips. Even though she knew this, she was totally unprepared for what she saw next.
A Huge Surprise
More Than They Thought
She was shocked when she saw the tip. The check only came up to $93, so it did not make a lot of sense to her. By then, the entire staff had already heard about the tip challenge that had been making rounds of the internet. However, they had not been lucky enough to be on the receiving end of it.
More Than They Thought
Time To Close
At the time, they were already cleaning up the place. This meant that Dally only noticed the check as they were closing up. It was a good thing that she found it since it would have otherwise gotten lost. Right away, she spoke to the owner about what she saw inside the folder!
Time To Close
In Utter Shock
The owner, bartender, and chef were all shocked when they saw the tip on the bill. Allow us to tell you why this is the case. You see, the patron only incurred a bill of $93 but tipped them $2,000! The entire crew could not believe it. At first, they thought that it must be a huge prank.
In Utter Shock
She Was In Complete Shock
Laura Dally was a bubbly, chatty, and sociable person. She was the sort of person who always found the right thing to say. This night was an exception, however. The bartender was totally speechless when she saw the tip. She continued to doublecheck and recount it to make sure that she was not seeing things.
She Was In Complete Shock
Blessing Or Prank
The truth was that she had no idea what to make of the huge tip. Perhaps this was nothing more than a prank that her co-workers had been playing on her. That was much easier to believe than a random act of kindness. Once she saw the tip, she knew that she had to talk about this with the owner. The two of them went into the office to discuss it some more.
Blessing Or Prank
She Never Thought It Would Happen
Neither of them could believe that something of this sort happened to them. They got wind of the story about Tips for Jesus. However, they did not think that it would happen to them! For one thing, they assumed that the tip challenge only happened on the West Coast or the Midwest.
She Never Thought It Would Happen
A Typical Tip
Most of the time, people would only leave behind around 15 percent of the check. The tip from their loyal patron exceeded the amount of the bill several times over! What were the staff members supposed to do with all that money? There were three people on the shift on that particular night.
A Typical Tip
Giving Them Instructions
After opening the envelope, they found the credit card slip that displayed a huge tip. Luckily, they had idea of what the do with it. After all, there was also a note right beside the amount. The note gave them instructions on how to divide the $2,000 among the three people who had been working at Blue 44 that night.
Giving Them Instructions
Sharing The Blessing
This shows that the patron had not merely made a mistake as he was paying the bill. He must have planned the whole thing before they even got to the restaurant. The note indicated that $1,000 should go to the chef. The bartender and the owner, on the other hand, would each get $500.
Sharing The Blessing
The Incredible Generosity
All three of them had been grateful for the sudden windfall. They knew that the customer was a good person, but they were still shocked to see the huge amount. On top of that, they had several questions in mind. For one thing, why did he pick them? Was there any reason he left so much money for them?
The Incredible Generosity
The Truth
They knew that no one would do such a thing without a reason. It was possible that he was just a very rich person who had no idea how to spend his money. Perhaps he simply wanted to share some of his wealth with other people. It could also be the fact that he appreciated how hard they worked.
The Truth
His Quick Response
The day after that, Chris sent the patron an email and expressed his gratitude. The owner thanked the customer for his generosity and confirmed that they split the money as they were instructed. We are glad to hear that the kind man responded with an explanation for his actions. But what did he say?
His Quick Response
What It Said
As a matter of fact, the patron did not take long to respond to the email. He said that the Blue 44 staff had made him feel very welcome. On top of that, he claimed to be a proud customer of the restaurant! This was how he wanted to show the hardworking staff his gratitude.
What It Said
Spending It Wisely
You would be happy to know that the trio had not been irresponsible with the money that the patron gave them. In fact, they had been very wise about their spending. It turns out that receiving kindness only makes other people want to pay it forward and do the same thing to other people!
Spending It Wisely
Family Is The Most Important Thing
Chris, the owner, decided to use part of the money towards the needs of his kids. It was not easy to pay for the monthly daycare bills. With the tip, he could at least alleviate the burden of that. James likewise decided to spend the money on his family. On top of that, the two men donated some of it to charity!
Family Is The Most Important Thing
Her Plans For The Future
It was a little different for Laura, who does not have a family of her own just yet. She instead decided to invest in herself by using it on her studies. The bartender wanted to take up a summer class at Montgomery College. This was a good financial decision since it will help her in the future!
Her Plans For The Future
The Future Looks Bright
The truth was that Laura always dreamt of becoming an occupational therapist. As a matter of fact, she was only working at the restaurant to earn money and pay for her tuition fees. She was a smart person who did not want to take out student loans and go into debt to pay for her education.
The Future Looks Bright
Showing Appreciation
Of course, Laura was delighted to receive such a huge tip. In fact, she was totally flattered by it! In reality, it is not easy to be a bartender. You have to deal with some unruly and rude people in this line of work. It was a good thing that this patron saw how hard they worked and decided to reward them for it.
Showing Appreciation
Undeserving Of The Tip
Even though Laura works hard on the job, she still felt like she did not deserve the tip. She knew that she was a good bartender, but it was a lot of money. It was a good thing that being kind and helpful paid off in the end. Not once did she think that she would get such a huge tip in one go.
Undeserving Of The Tip
The First Time
Laura and Chris had both been in the restaurant industry for a decade or so already. This was the first time that either of them received such a big tip. Aside from the instructions, the patron also decided to leave another note on the back. It said, “Thank you for the Gumbo.”
The First Time
A Great Challenge
We already mentioned it earlier but let us fill you in if you are not familiar with it. Aside from the ‘Tips for Jesus’ movement, there is a new social media challenge known as the ‘tip the bill challenge.’ You can easily join in on the fun if you want! This is generally doable even if you are not super wealthy.
A Great Challenge
Cent For Cent
How does it work? The challenge involves ordering something from the menu and matching the amount in tip no matter how much it is. There are also people who take it even further by leaving more than that. If you are feeling extra kind and generous with your money, this is the challenge for you.
Cent For Cent
The Right Amount
If you ask us, this is the perfect time to do this challenge. Some people have said that they have no idea how much to tip these days. This might explain why some people leave poor tips for the staff. Not everyone can afford to leave extravagant tips, but you can follow this rule of thumb.
The Right Amount
A Good Figure
The recommended amount is anywhere from 15 percent to 20 percent of the check. When you eat at a restaurant, you should take this into consideration before you order anything. In reality, labor laws are really hard on servers. They work hard and deserve to receive proper compensation for their efforts.
A Good Figure
Join If You Can
We are glad to see that people out there are taking on the challenge. Some of them might be doing it for the clout, but we are sure that others do it to show their appreciation for the workers. Every restaurant has regulars who frequently drop by. We are glad to see that they value the efforts made by the staff.
Join If You Can
On Social Media
Fair enough, social media has been used for nefarious things. However, let us not forget that it can be used to spread goodness as well! These heartwarming posts only make us believe that mankind is capable of such incredible kindness and generosity. We hope to see more stories like this in the future!
On Social Media