A North Carolina restaurant is gaining social media attention after a customer went out of his way to ensure his server got her tip. That customer, who dined at Side Street Pour House on Dec. 30, took his signed receipt with him, leaving his server without her tip.
The man, whose first name is Ted, apparently took the wrong copy of his credit card receipt with him, leading the server to not get the tip they intended to leave her with. Ted realized his mistake days later when checking his bank statement, which revealed a lesser charge. He then took the time to write a letter explaining the situation and include a more appropriate tip.
A Facebook post by Side Street Pour House and Grill in Lenoir talked about the gesture.
“I thought, ‘Well, I guess they took it with them,’” recalls server Hope Cline. “It happens sometimes. It’s OK.”
The man realized his mistake days later when he checked his bank statement and noticed the charge from the downtown restaurant was less than expected. He decided to make it right by sending a letter to the restaurant explaining his mistake, as well as a $20 cash tip saying “that was no way for either of us to end 2023. Here’s to a fresh start.”
“I was not expecting that,” said Cline. “I was like, ‘There are good people in the world who like their servers and make sure they get what they deserve.’”
The restaurant’s Facebook post highlighting the man’s kindness has been shared more than 2,000 times.