Restaurant shock as diner leaves $16,000 tip to help pay staff
A customer at a restaurant in Texas has made the restaurant owner’s day by leaving a very generous tip.
It was left by a regular customer who had been dining at Houston’s Irma’s Southwest restaurant for the last 15 years and left a $9,400 tip on an order of shrimp tacos earlier this week.
The tip equates to $16,700 AUD and was left with an instruction to the restaurant owner to “pay your guys over the next few weeks”.
"Basically we are going to split that among the staff members, not management. So, about 30 people will split the $9,400 evenly," restaurant owner Louis Galvan told Fox News.
Galvan says the tip "reinvigorated" the restaurant.
"Honestly, we were going to close, but now we're going to try and make the best out of this deal," he said. "We're going to make this thing work."
"I think he came here just to [give that tip]. He came down here specifically to do that and wish us the best of luck. Everyone was amazed."
The customer’s act of kindness inspired others to visit the restaurant.
"Another regular customer came in and left a $100 tip on a $90 ticket after he saw the report," Galvan said. "He came in just to purchase lunch and leave another gratuity."