Anyone who has ever worked in the restaurant industry will tell you: It’s all about the tips.
Especially if you live in the US, where tipping rules are almost annoyingly high.
But as a waiter you always have this fantasy that one day a very generous person with too much money will simply give yourself something.
In the case of Alfredo’s Café in Scranton, Pennsylvania, this actually happened.
Watch below:
Customer Eric Smith decided to leave a whopping $3,000 (£2,300) tip for a $13 (£10) meal, and the restaurant responded pretty much as expected.
Waitress Mariana Lambert said: “It really meant a lot to me because everyone is going through difficult times. It really touched me deeply. I still can’t believe it. I’m still in shock.”
Alfredo was surprised by the amount and went to see if Smith had accidentally left the money there.
Matt Martini, who worked for the restaurant, confronted the heavy drinker and asked him to provide another ID.
The waitress gets emotional when she sees the tip. (WNEP)
When they showed his ID, they noticed that Smith had left a strange note on the check: “Tip for Jesus.”
Apparently this was all part of a social media trend and Smith decided to get involved.
What was initially intended as a good deed quickly turned into a threatening letter, as the customer disputed the tip in writing.
Zachary Jacobson, who also worked at the cafe, said: “We thought someone was actually trying to do something good. And now, what, three months have passed? Not once, and nothing has happened. So far, there’s nothing to show for it.”
Because the restaurant had allowed Lambert the £2,300, it was forced to pay Smith back the money out of its own pocket.
It didn’t take long for the situation to change. (WNEP)
After failed attempts to bring Smith to his senses about Facebook, Alfredo had no choice but to file a civil lawsuit against him.
Jacobson explained: “Unfortunately, we had to file a complaint with the Justice of the Peace because we have now simply run out of money.”
“And he told us we should sue him. And that’s probably what we’ll do eventually.”
During this time, the local community decided to start a GoFundMe campaign for the restaurant to raise funds.
However, the fundraiser was soon canceled because Alfredo’s apparently did not want to accept cash.
LADbible has contacted Alfredo’s Cafe for comment.
