Customer Surprises Staff With $2,500 Tip Before Restaurant Shuts Down Due To Coronavirus

Most countries in the world are in a lock-down over the attempts to stop the spread of COVID-19 and workers are faced with no work or options like working from home.

But some people who work on hourly wages and whose jobs cannot be performed at home are facing tough times ahead.

A generous customer who was a regular at Coaches Bar & Grill in Columbus, Ohio, went the extra mile to help servers there with an amazing act of kindness.

On Sunday, the governor had announced that all dine-in spots were to close their dining rooms until further notice which was a stressing news for workers regarding their financial future.

The anonymous patron left them a huge $2,500 tip and asked them to split it among the staff.

“Please split this tab equally between Tara, Nicky, Jim, Liz, and Arrun. The tip amount is $2500.00,” the handwritten note on the check read.

“(There were) tears, tears of joy,” owner Patrick “Benny” Leonard said. “An unbelievable act of kindness on a pretty weird day.”

“We’ve got unprecedented times going on, we’ve got people fighting over toilet paper and so on and so forth, and to have a guy show up and care enough about people that give him a beer and a hamburger once in a while, that means a lot,” Leonard added. “It’s humanity at its best.”

The recipients were undoubtedly grateful for the kind gesture, and the owner confirmed that many of them were deeply moved over the windfall. “It brought some of them to tears, and they’re going to split it with everyone in the restaurant — so 13 ways — but it’s going to help them and we are going to do our best — we’re a family and we will get through it together,” Leonard said.

While the kind customer specifically left the amount to five individuals, Dene Sanfillipo (the account that posted the check image) explained that those five had paid it forward by deciding to split the amount between everyone working there.

Even though this restaurant has closed its doors to walk-in customers, they have started doing take-out and delivery, which can help them stay alive in these troubled times.

“We will be delivering and allowing pick up food and beer … please call us in the morning and we will let you know our pick up and carry hours,” their Facebook page shared on March 15.

Let us remember and pray for the workers in the hospitality industry and other industries facing similar situations due to the Coronavirus, and let us pray that God helps them tide over these troubled times.

Verse of the Day

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Isaiah 9:6