Florida: Mystery Man Leaves $10,000 Tip for Restaurant Staff

"Almost as good as Christmas morning," said the owner of the restaurant about the man's gesture.

Florida man leaves $10,000 tip for restaurant staff.

(Photo Courtesy: Instagram/@WahooSeaFoodGrill)

The staff at Wahoo Seafood Grill in Florida, Unites States was in for a surprise when a mystery guest left a tip of $10,000 with his $144 bill.

It was a bleak Tuesday night for the diner when only 10 employees were working and about two tables were occupied. Seeing the staff work hard, the man called them to his table and thanked them for their hard work and for keeping strong through the pandemic. As a token of his appreciation, he also gave a tip of $10,000 to be distributed among the staff.

Each staff member took home a tip of $1000, which is about 700 percent of a tip.

Shawn Shepherd, the owner of the diner, was suspicious at first. He even asked his staff to check the man's credentials. As it turns out, it was all legitimate and he was making a genuine gesture.

"Watching these guys get their check was almost as good as Christmas morning," Shepherd said in a statement to The Gainesville Sun.

The staff also took to the diner's official Instagram handle to thank the guest for his gesture. "Be the reason someone believes in the goodness of people," the post said.