A restaurant server in Texas has opened up about receiving two five-figure tips from a regular customer.
American tipping culture is considerably more pernicious than it is in the UK, with servers’ base wages across the pond typically being so low that tips are essential for getting decent pay.
While many people know this and will tip as much as 20%, it’s a frequent flashpoint between servers and people who feel disinclined to foot the bill.
But then there are other, more heartwarming stories about people paying considerably over the odds in tips, with some lucky servers getting paid thousands by particularly generous customers.
That was the case at El Nuevo Mexico in Bastrop, Texas where a regular left not just one but two incredibly huge tips.
The restaurant is run by six siblings who put customer service front and centre, claiming to “take pride” in “welcoming everybody”.
Elvia Jaimes, one of those six siblings, told FOX 13 News: "It's all walks of life that come into your restaurant, and you don't know if they're having a bad day or a good day."
Staff at the restaurant live and breathe the ethos. It’s certainly true of Denise Ruiz, who joined the team nine years ago despite having no prior experience.
She soon struck up a friendship with regular customer Robert who, in June 2023, covered the tab and paid a massive $10,000 tip (£7,550).
Months later, the restaurant acknowledged their appreciation for Robert’s generosity in an Instagram post.
The owners decided to post something on social media some months later to acknowledge their appreciation for Robert.
"Now that the year has ended, we just felt very grateful,” Jaimes said in the post. “We thought, let's share it, an act of kindness, just to show that there are still good people out there."
Soon after, Robert visited again to find Ruiz on shift.
She said: "I was like, ‘Where's your mom?’ and he was like, ‘Denise, she passed away.’ And I started crying because I would serve them [both] breakfast on Sunday morning after church."
During his visits, Robert had learned that Denise’s son was going through cancer treatment, and on this one he left another $10,000 tip so she could take her son on a trip once he had recovered.
"It made me cry because you see that no longer [is it] just a restaurant or customers, they’re family," she said.
She said she shared the tip with her colleagues but certainly plans to take her son on that trip once he’s able.
"You realise that there is a God when you see actions like that, that are not selfish with no motive and that’s beautiful in this world that’s so chaotic right now," she said.
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Rachael Davis