Restaurant staff have been moved to tears after a customer thanked them for working through the coronavirus pandemic with a generous tip.
Last weekend a customer who had been a regular at the Starving Artist restaurant in New Jersey left without saying a word, but added a $1430 tip to their bill to be shared among the staff.
Owner Arnold Teixeira told CNN the customer had been a regular at the establishment since 2001 and wished to remain anonymous.
He explained the customer was dining with his family and the staff didn’t realise he had tipped so generously until a waiter saw the bill.
“When the waiter serving them saw the tip, she just started crying. Then another one of my staff members saw it and started crying too,” Mr Teixeira told CNN.
“And then I see it, and I couldn't help but cry. It was just extremely emotional because it's been a really difficult time for us.”
In addition to the tip, the customer also left behind a note thanking the staff for working throughout the pandemic.
“Thank you so much for working through this tough time,” the note said, according to CNN.
“We are grateful for your delicious food, warm smiles, and great atmosphere ... Please know we appreciate you all very much. It wouldn't be a good summer without the Starving Artist.”
Speaking to NBC New York, Mr Teixeira said his staff deserved the cash and each employee got more than $100. He did not take any of the tip for himself.
Mr Teixeira praised the customer on Facebook, expressing his appreciation for the customers.
“This act of generosity and kindness goes beyond words,” Mr Teixeira said.
“It was shared amongst the entire staff. The note that accompanied the check made us all cry! Thank you from the depths of our hearts!”
In New Jersey there have been over 170,000 coronavirus infections and about 13,000 deaths.
While the US remains the most hard-hit country, with more coronavirus cases and deaths than any other, most states are continuing to reopen after lockdowns.
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