GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A customer at a Gainesville restaurant gave its staff of 10 an incredible surprise after dining on Aug. 18 — a $10,000 tip.
According to Wahoo Seafood Grill, after finishing his dinner with his family, the customer asked the entire restaurant staff to come into the dining area before thanking them for "showing up and working hard."
“I’m not usually an emotional guy, but this really got me. I’m blown away. We’re ALL blown away by his generosity," owner Shawn Shepherd said.
Shepherd says when an employee called him about the tip, he thought it couldn't be true. He asked them to double-check the man's ID and the name on the back of his credit card.
He says it was like Christmas morning watching the workers get their huge tip.
"The last year and a half hasn’t been easy on this industry. We’re hurting and we’re exhausted, but this incredible act of kindness has restored our faith in humanity," Shepherd added.
The restaurant wrote on its Facebook page that it plans to pay it forward since "even the smallest acts of kindness can have a giant ripple effect."