Restaurant sues customer over $3,000 tip he left on $13 meal
A Pennsylvanian restaurant filed a lawsuit against a customer after he appeared to change his mind about a whopping $3,000 tip for a waitress.
The topic of tipping culture is certainly a divisive one in the US, with conflict often coming about when a customer leaves a lowly show of their appreciation.
However, staff at Alfredo’s Cafe in Scranton, PA were left in utter shock by a customer on the other end of the spectrum.
Eric Smith left a massive tip after coming into the cafe and ordering a stromboli.
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The meal only cost $13.25, so his server, Mariana Lambert, understandably become emotional when she saw how much he'd tipped.
"It really meant a lot to me because everyone's going through stuff. It really touched my heart. I still can't believe it. I'm still in shock," the waitress said.
Matt Martini of Alfredo's Cafe wanted to make sure the money hadn't been left by accident so tired to verify the figure and collect additional ID from Smith.
When Martini asked about the note, Smith explained that he'd been inspired by a social media trend known as 'Tips for Jesus', and decided to get involved after experiencing Lambert’s hospitality.
In spite of Martini's efforts to make sure the tip was above board, the situation took a turn for the worse a few weeks later when the cafe received a letter to say Smith was disputing the charge for the tip.
Zachary Jacobson, who also works at the cafe, recalled: "We thought somebody was actually trying to do a good thing. And then now we are, what, three months later? Not even, and there's nothing. There's nothing to show for it at this point."
Since Alfredo's had already given the $3,000 to Lambert, they were forced to repay Smith out of their own pockets.
They attempted to communicate with Smith on Facebook, but ultimately decided to file a civil lawsuit against the customer.
"Unfortunately, we had to file charges through the magistrate's office because now we're just out of this money at this point. And he told us to sue him. So that's what we're going to end up doing, I guess," Jacobson added.
Community members attempted to rally around Alfredo's Cafe by starting a GoFundMe to support the business, but the cafe refused to accept the cash and the fundraiser was ultimately shut down.
Today, two years after the incident took place, there appears to be no update on the lawsuit Alfredo's filed.
Callum Jones