Man leaves $3,000 tip to split among servers
One CLEVELANDHEIGHTS— customermadesure a restaurant’s final day, at least temporarily, would have a bit of a bright spot Sunday.
A man in his 30s sitting with his family ordered a $7 pint of Stella Artois beer at Nighttown in Cleveland Heights, while owner Brendan Ring, who announced his decision recently to shut downthe restaurant temporarily, was on the patio having lunch with friends.
“Hewalkedovertomeand handed me his credit-card receipt and said ‘Split that among thewait staff,’” Ring said.
“I said ‘Great thank you,’” said Ring, who was familiar with the customer. “I looked down at the check, but I didn’t havemy glasses on. I said, ‘Holy oh my, he just left a $300 tip.’ Then I put my glasses on and it hit my eyes. ‘What the ... !’ Itwas $3,000. I ran out the door after him. I said, ‘Whatwere you thinking?’ He said, ‘No, I meant it. ... Merry Christmas, we’ll see youwhen you reopen.’
“You can’twrite this stuff. You hear these stories once in a while around the country about a guy leaving a big tip. I had never experienced it in all my years here.”
Ring is closing the 55-yearold restaurant he has owned since 2001 “until further notice” as a way to stem the potential spread of coronavirus. On Monday, Ohio recorded a record 11,885 cases, the day after the man dropped the gargantuan tip.
In May, the day in-restaurant dining re-opened in Ohio, a customer at in Chagrin Falls left a $1,000 tip for a $117.82 bill. Like the diner at Nighttown, he was a regularwho left instructions that the tip be split among staff.
AcoupleofNighttownservers started crying afterwhat Ring called “a beautiful gesture.” Four servers received $750 each, a farewell before filing for unemployment, he said.
“Everyone is looking to grasp onto something that gives us hope, and this is a shining-star moment,” said Ring, who added he would not post thecustomer’sname because he thinks the man wouldn’t want that.