Christmas was a little more special this year for the staff at a Washington state diner.
Diner patron Dwayne Clarke, 59, decided to leave a $3,000 tip on his $39.60 bill along with an inspiring message, according to a WLTX report.
“You guys do a great job! When I was 7, I washed dishes and my mom cooked in a diner like this. We were dirt poor and didn’t have money for Christmas. Hopefully, this will help all of you have a better Christmas,” he wrote on the back of his receipt.
Staff at The Brief Encounter Cafe in Bellevue, Washington, were reportedly in tears, with some saying the money was needed.
They described him to WLTX as a friendly guy who always sits in the same booth, and orders the same breakfast—eggs over easy, hash browns, and extra crispy bacon.
Clarke, the CEO of Aegis Living, which provides care to senior citizens, told The TODAY Show it was about connecting with people in a positive way.
“We are living in this great time of not connecting with each other—whether it’s the political situation, or whether it’s technology,” Clarke told TODAY. “I think the reason (people like this story) is not because of the money, but because of this shared connection. Wouldn’t it be great if we all fed each other’s souls in a positive way?”
Waitress Julie Wilson, 42, told TODAY that she plans to use part of her share to buy five holiday turkey dinners for homeless families.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.