Big tippers wow waitress at Brownstone with early gift
GUILFORD — In the spirit of the season of giving, a local waitress was the recipient of the most unexpected gift.
After enjoying breakfasts of egg white omelets, hash browns smothered in ketchup, toast, coffee and more coffee and lots of comradery at the Brownstone House Family Restaurant, the gathering of 10 local friends paid their $150 bill with a wad of $50 and $100 bills.
Waitress Courtenay Cooper held the cash, obviously confused. Then the big reveal — each guest put in $100 each with all the extra cash toward a tip.
When all calculated, the tip totaled $850.
“You guys are so sweet,” she said, clutching the money. “You guys have a Merry Christmas.”
She talked about the surprise as she caught her breath between customers.
“That was great,” Cooper said. “It totally caught me off guard. I was touched.”
The idea originated with a viral post on social media and Jennifer Myers said she was compelled to do it locally in memory of her mother who recently died.
“She did this because her mom did stuff like this all the time,” said Natalie Turcio, bringing the crowd to tears. “It’s a way of remembering and honoring her memory and doing kindness unto others as her mom would have done.”
To continue the spirit of giving, Cooper split the tip with her co-worker, Gabby Casanova, the only two on duty for the morning.
Both recipients were gushing over the surprise.
“I’m a single mom,” said Cooper. “I have two in college, one’s still in high school and last year with the pandemic and everything happening — I’m just trying to do what I can to get by and get through the holidays and keep my kids happy, of course, that’s my first goal.”
Casonova, a North Branford resident, was thrilled.
“I was in literal shock,” she said. “I’ve never gotten a tip that big in all my years of waitressing.”
“I was so stressed about money,” she added. “My fiance and I are actually getting married in six months and with trying to do stuff for Christmas for people and to pay off our deposits, it’s been cutting it a little close.”
“I was a little stressed this morning and when I heard the news, I was beyond myself and how people could actually do that. There are so many good people in the world, still.”