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Restaurant workers ‘amazed’ after finding customer’s receipt: ‘We’re in survival mode’

A Texas restaurant got exactly the surprise it needed, after two anonymous customers left a tip big enough to help out the “entire staff.”

The generous couple visited Irma’s Southwest, a restaurant in Houston, on March 16 and left behind a receipt that owner Louis Galvan called totally “unexpected,” according to CNN.

“We didn’t expect it, to be honest with you,” Galvan said. “They left a gratuity for the entire kitchen and service staff.”

That gratuity? A stunning $9,400. The bill for the couple’s dinner totaled $90.12, but the pair left behind a $7,500 tip, plus another $1,900 in cash.

The money also came along with a message, which one of the regulars had scribbled onto their receipt.

“Hold tip to pay your guys over the next few weeks,” the message read, seeming to reference the restaurants nationwide that are suffering as millions of Americans are staying home.

Courtesy of Louis Galvan
Courtesy of Louis Galvan

Galvan told CNN the tip came at a particularly needed time, as his restaurant moved to offering takeout service and a limited menu just two days later.

“We’re just trying to make it to that window where everyone has a consistent paycheck,” Galvan said. “We’re not even worried about profitability at this point. We’re in survival mode.”

Irma’s became a Houston staple when Galvan’s mother, Irma, opened a tiny sandwich shop in 1988. Galvan opened the restaurant’s current version in 1998 and has been running the place ever since.

But the owner told CNN he’s definitely concerned about the present situation, as he has no idea how long his customers will be confined to their homes. That’s why his staff was so “amazed” by the $9,400 tip.

“I think he [the husband in the couple] came here just to [give that tip],” Galvan told Fox News. “They came down here specifically to do that and wish us the best of luck.”

Galvan said he wants to honor that intention, by splitting the tip among his entire staff — himself not included.

“Basically we are going to split that among the staff members, not management,” he told Fox News So, about 30 people will split the $9,400 evenly.”

The post One generous customer left this Houston restaurant a $9,400 tip appeared first on In The Know.

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