Syracuse, N.Y. — A group of Central New York residents surprised a waitress this weekend with a $1,400 tip.
The waitress, Kristin Paul, who works at The Market Diner in Syracuse, said she had no idea she was going to get a tip like that on Saturday.
“They showed up a little at a time,” she said. “I recognized some.”
The customers chatted a little and nothing was unusual, said Paul, who has worked for over 15 years at the diner on Park Street near the Central New York Regional Market.
“I’ve never once seen a group come in and do something so sweet,” she said.
For Paul, it was a “breath of fresh air” after so many months of the pandemic.
“It was like New York City when Covid first hit,” she said. “At seven they’d bang the pots for first responders.”
Paul decided to split the tip with her coworkers.
The extra cash helped her coworkers with the upcoming holiday and even one coworker for recently was in a car accident, Paul said.
“That kind of selfless act brings us back to what Christmas is all about,” Paul said.
The customers are part of a group they call The Breakfast Club. They plan to visit restaurants once a month to leave generous tips.
“A lot of the staff are struggling,” said Bud Loura, founder of club. “It’s a great way to give back.”
Loura owns Restaurant QB, an independent consulting company for restaurants and bars. He saw an idea similar to The Breakfast Club on Facebook and decided to get a group together in Central New York along with Anthony Tringale from Eat Local NY.
Every month Loura wants to surprise a restaurant staff with a generous tip. To get the public involved the group created a Facebook page where people can sign up to be able to join the outings.
So far 45 people have signed up to join the club, Loura said. He hopes to have 100 active members at some point.
For Loura, it’s not just about seeing the happiness on restaurant staff’s faces.
“The people that got the money were just as emotional as those who gave,” he said.
The Market Diner on Park Street.
Staff writer Rylee Kirk covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? Reach her at 315-396-5961, on twitter @kirk_rylee, or rkirk@syracuse.com.