NORTH NAPLES, Fla. (WFLA/CNN) – Restaurant workers are feeling the pinch as more people are staying home to avoid exposure to coronavirus.
One diner in Florida wanted to help out so he left a tip massive enough for one restaurant’s entire staff to share. Leaving ten thousand dollars behind by a regular diner at Skillets.
“And he said ‘I want each person in this restaurant to get 500 dollars. The manager distributed it to all the employees,” Restaurant owner Ross Edlund said.
“People come in and they become family. We know where they are from, we know how many kids they have, and we know what’s going on in their lives. They become a part of our team, a part of our restaurant,” Edlund said.
Putting smiles on employees faces at the North Naples restaurant.
“There was genuine concern from our guests for our staff, which is very heartwarming to me.”
Little did they know the next day, Governor Ron DeSantis would force dining rooms statewide to close.
“We want everyone to stay healthy and well, Edlund said. We believe that what is being done is the correct thing in spite of the fact it’s causing us hardship.”
But the restaurant’s owner looks on the bright side because acts of kindness are spreading in the community.
“It’s not the greatest situation, but if we don’t put a positive spin on it, we’re just going to make things worse. It makes me feel like we are doing more than just serving eggs and pancakes. That we’re offering a respite from the world,” Edlund said.
Edlund says he knows the man who left the tip — but he’s respecting his wishes to remain anonymous.
“Thank you very, very much. You are a really decent person, and you have touched our staff deeply. Thank you.”
LATEST ON THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC:
- Doctor accused of tossing vaccines, giving fake shots to children
- DeSantis aims to expand protections from mask and vaccine mandates
- Tampa got 4th most PPP funds in large US cities, study says
- Long COVID stemmed from mild cases of COVID-19 in most people, according to a new multicountry study
- US will require COVID-19 testing for travelers from China