Waiter couldn't believe customer's $500 tip on a 65-cent bill — until he read her heartbreaking note
'This has got to be a joke. There’s no way,' expressed the Texas waiter.
Sometimes, one kind act can give back most unexpectedly. That’s what happened to a Texas waiter whose small gesture of kindness turned into something he never imagined. As reported by ABC News, the story began with a routine workday for a Texas waiter and ended with a surprising and emotional reward. What started with a simple 65-cent drink turned into an unforgettable moment, marked by a tip that left him completely speechless.
In 2016, Kasey Simmons, a 32-year-old server from Little Elm, Texas, was working his dinner shift at Applebee’s when he received a $500 tip on a check totaling just 65 cents. “I thought, ‘This has got to be a joke. There’s no way,’” Simmons told ABC News. “Then, I read that letter and I’m thinking, ‘This $500 tip is for real, dude!’” The tip, it turned out, was a response to something he had done earlier that same day for a stranger at a local grocery store.
While shopping at a nearby supermarket, Kroger, Simmons noticed a woman who looked upset. “It looked like she had been crying,” he recalled. He approached her and said, “It’s not raining inside. There’s no reason to look so down. I’m sure you have a beautiful smile because you are a beautiful lady.” Though she seemed hesitant, Simmons paid for her $17 grocery bill. “I wanted to make her at least grin a little bit,” he explained. Before leaving, he handed her his Applebee’s business card and went to work.
That evening, Simmons was having what he called “the worst day” at work. He warned one customer that he was far behind and that it would be 45 minutes before he could serve them. To make up for the delay, he even offered to pay for the drinks. The customer later asked for the cheapest item on the menu, a flavored water, and requested the 65-cent bill be split between two credit cards. “By this point, I said, ‘This lady’s crazy,’” he expressed. But he did as asked. On one receipt, the woman left him $500.37. A note was also left behind that explained the thoughtful gesture, "On one of the most depressing days of the year, (the death of my father's 3rd anniversary), you made my mother's day wonderful. She has been smiling since you did what you did." While Simmons was shocked by the whopping tip, he was also deeply moved by the note.
In another story, a similar kindness was shown by customers. A waitress named Manhattan Deming was working a regular shift at DaVinci’s in Williamstown when a couple started asking her about her life. She opened up about her daughter and her dream of becoming a nurse, which had been delayed since she became a mother. After their meal, the couple paid and handed her the receipt with a $2000 tip. Shocked, Deming said, “What? What is this? What does this say?” and broke down in tears. She later said, “That’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing.” With the tip, she hoped to return to school and create a better life for herself and her daughter. She also shared how her job had helped her grow as a server, a mother, and a person.
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