Restaurant sues customer over $3,000 waitress tip he left on $13 meal

A restaurant in Pennsylvania filed a civil lawsuit against a customer after he left a $3,000 tip for a waitress - but his kind gesture wasn't as simple as first it seemed.

The staff at Alfredo’s Cafe in Scranton, PA were left stunned in June 2022 when the customer, Eric Smith, left his huge tip after coming into the cafe and ordering a stromboli.

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," Lambert said later.

Wanting to make sure the money hadn't been left by accident, Matt Martini of Alfredo's Cafe went out to verify the figure and collect additional ID from Smith, who had written 'Tips for Jesus' on the check.

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.

The waitress become emotional after seeing the tip. (WNEP)

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.

Things quickly turned sour when the tipper asked for the money back. (WNEP)

Jacobson said: "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."

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.

At the time of writing, there does not appear to be an update on the lawsuit Alfredo's filed.

UNILAD has contacted Alfredo's Cafe for comment.