Man Leaves Incredible $10,000 Tip for a $144 Bill at Florida Restaurant

In August, a slow and quiet evening turned into a night that felt like Christmas for 10 lucky employees. When an anonymous man decided to give them an unexpectedly large tip, the staff were all in disbelief.

Wahoo Seafood Grill employees went home with a sizable tip last month thanks to a mystery man who spoke to them and showed immense gratitude. The restaurant recently shared the news online, and the post has since gone viral.

The man who was described as "rugged, heavy-set and muscular" visited the establishment with his wife and their shy son. On the evening of their visit, 10 workers were on rotation, serving only two tables.

MAN CALLED THE EMPLOYEES TOGETHER

At the end of their meal, the man called the staff together, and Bryce Daniels, a cook at Wahoo, indicated that this instantly sparked their curiosity.

The man spoke to them and thanked them for their hard work and great service. The customer then proceeded to pay his family's bill, which amounted to $144. His next actions left the Wahoo staff stunned.

THE MASSIVE TIP

The man left them a $10,000 tip! This was then divided between the 10 staff members, and consequently, they all walked away with a hefty and surprising $1,000.

Since 2020, many businesses within the restaurant industry have struggled to keep afloat. This was also the case for Wahoo Seafood Grill, and the man's generous tip came at a time when it was much needed.

TOUGH SEASON FOR THE STAFF

Ashley Green was one of the lucky employees who were at the receiving end of the big tip. The restaurant owner, Shawn Shepherd, explained that Green had been going through a difficult season.

Her daughter was sick, and August was a tough month. Shepard said: "It's been absolutely a really stressful time for her." He was just as stunned when he heard about the generous $10,000 tip.

THE OWNER WAS IN DISBELIEF

Shepard's employees called him to share the news. He initially didn't believe it and told the staff to double-check the patron's ID and the name on his credit card.

When their point-of-sale system gave the green light for the transaction, he was pleasantly surprised. The following day, the money was still there, and everyone was overjoyed.

UNPREPARED FOR LOCKDOWN

Shepard shared: "Watching these guys get their check was almost as good as Christmas morning." Wahoo was not prepared for the lockdown that came as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said:

"I knew nothing about curbside, I knew nothing about delivery and take out. We weren't prepared for that. We didn't even have the containers to do it."

A GLIMMER OF HOPE

They were forced to close their doors and purportedly lost around $30,000 worth of food. The stranger's kind actions were a silver lining after a difficult time for the business owner and his loyal staff members.

Shephard expressed that his staff helped to keep the business going in the worst of times. They certainly deserved the generous tip, and it helped give them a glimmer of hope.