Then she finds out why: a shocked waitress gets a $10,000 tip

Employees at a restaurant in Michigan, United States, were stunned when they discovered a $10,000 US ($13,500 Canadian) tip on a bill; There was an amazing reason hidden behind this generous donation.

• Read also: A waitress was fired after receiving a $10,000 tip

“We usually see a $100 tip from time to time,” Tim Sweeney, manager of the Mason Jar Cafe in Benton Harbor, told The Hill.

“But nothing has ever happened of this gratitude or this magnitude,” he emphasized.

Earlier this month, one generous customer left a 30,835% tip on his $32.43 bill, according to the New York Post.

Mr Sweeney was shocked by “utter disbelief” when he saw the receipt. The restaurant did not reveal who served the customer. The manager quickly spoke to the customer and made sure nothing was wrong.

“We went back and forth. I had a conversation with him,” the manager said.

During this discussion, Mr. Sweeney was able to see the reason behind the client's generous gesture.

“It was in memory of a friend who had recently passed away. He was in town for the funeral,” waitress Paige Mollick said.

“It was an act of kindness that touched a lot of people,” she added.

The restaurant chose to divide the tip into nine equal parts among colleagues. They each received just over $1,100 ($1,480 CAD).

Ms. Mollick, a recent college graduate, used her share to pay off student loans.

She enjoyed the fact that “so many wonderful women worked that day, so many hardworking mothers… who really deserved it.”