Stranger Leaves $3K Tip for Server at Ohio Restaurant Temporarily Closing Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

A man walks into a bar. He orders a beer, drinks the cold beverage, and when he’s done, he gets the check and pays the $7.02 bill with his credit card and leaves a $3,000 tip. 

This is not the punch line of a joke, nor are the three zeros a typo. This actually happened to one lucky server named Brandon Ring at the Nighttown Bar in Cleveland, Ohio, which temporarily closed on Monday because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Before the kind stranger left, Ring said he wished him well and told him to share the tip with the four employees who were working brunch service. As the man walked out, Ring looked down and saw the tip of a lifetime. 

“I looked down at the tip and realized he left a whopping $3,000 tip on a single beer purchase,” said Ring. “I ran after him and he said, 'No mistake, we will see you when you reopen!'”

Ring was so elated by his good fortune he posted a message on his Facebook page alongside the picture of the receipt. 

“I could post his name but I won’t as I think he wouldn’t want that but all my waitstaff and myself and humbly grateful for this incredibly kind and grand gesture,” Ring said. “Unbelievable but symbolic of the kind of quality folks we have know at Nighttown all these years."

The perfect way to start off the season of giving. In fact, Ring's post has brought strangers together to share their gratitude despite these uncertain times. 

One well-wisher posted: “Such a wonderful gesture! Bravo, kind soul!”

Another said “Good people appreciate good people, humanity always prevails - stay safe during the shutdown and happy holidays.”

A regular patron wrote: "May God Bless the person who left this beautiful gift to the staff."

RELATED STORIES