Restaurant owner finds $12,000 and desperately tries to track down who left it

Sak Yiengjuntuek is an American restaurant owner and a good Samaritan who took over the Lemongrass Pho & Thai Cuisine in Myrtle Beach in April 2025.

Unfortunately, the eatery was closed for a number of months due to a fire that broke out at the Wholesale Furniture Gallery next door.

After electricity was restored, Yiengjuntuek began reopening preparations, cleaning up and going through a cabinet that had been left inside the establishment.

It was here that he stumbled upon a seemingly random sunglasses case.

Upon opening it, he realised someone hadn’t just left their eyewear… They’d accidentally dropped a whopping $12,000.

Yiengjuntuek reasoned that the case full of cash must have been the previous owner of the restaurant.

And much like a Kinston Chick-fil-A employee, who handed in two envelopes with $10,000 that a customer had lost, Yiengjuntuek knew that he had to reunite the cash with whoever had stashed it and left it.

Sak Yiengjuntuek found $12,000 in his establishment - and hunted down its owner (WMBF)

Speaking to People Magazine, the company owner said that it was initially a massive ‘shock’ to come across so much money.

However, he quickly reasoned that he needed to track down the old building owner, who had operated the venue as a Vietnamese restaurant.

“That’s a lot of money,” he mused. “I mean, I thought it was just sunglasses in there; I was shocked. The first thing I thought was that I need to find the rightful owner.”

The publication reported that he was initially stumped on how to contact the man after he learned the number he had for him had been disconnected.

He got in touch with local news outlet WMBG to see if spreading the news would get the man to come out of the woodwork.

Yiengjuntuek then remembered that he’d scribbled down another phone number for the man and eventually managed to get in touch with him.

Upon speaking to the former owner, he learned that he had cancer and that he could really use the $12,000 cash that he had left behind.

“He really appreciated it,” he said, claiming the man was ‘almost crying’ on the phone.

Vistors have apparently been flocking to the eatery following the viral track down (Google Maps)

Naturally, Yiengjuntuek said that he was happy to be able to fulfil his duty and that reuniting the man with his cash was the ‘right thing to do’.

“My family taught me all the time, you have to be honest.

“Honesty, integrity, is very important in life.”

Yiengjuntuek added that his decision has also been good for business.

Apparently, he’s had lots of visitors to Lemongrass Thai Restaurant since his good act went viral.

He added that he was ‘very proud of himself’ for the way he acted in the heat of the moment.

So, it turns out there are some good people left in the world after all!