Anonymous customer leaves restaurant a tip for US$16K

LONDONDERRY, New Hampshire (AP):

A customer who ordered a couple of chilli dogs, fried pickle chips and drinks at a New Hampshire restaurant left a big tip — US$16,000.

At first, the staff didn’t notice, Mike Zarella, owner of the Stumble Inn Bar and Grill in Londonderry, told WMUR-TV. The tab was US$37.93 before the tip.

“It was on the credit card statement, they put it down next to the register, and he said three times, ‘Don’t spend it all in one place.’” Zarella said one staffer then flipped it over and looked, “and she’s like, ‘Oh my God, are you serious?’ And he said, ‘I want you to have it, you guys work hard.’”

Zarella thought it was a mistake, but the bar manager talked to the customer, who said it wasn’t. He also wished to remain anonymous.

The restaurant had closed for a few months during the pandemic and adjusted with takeout orders and outdoor dining.

The crew planned to pay it forward to their fellow employees.

“The back of the house works really hard, the kitchen, they’re giving them a big tip out of that, which is very generous of them to do,” Zarella said.