Most of us know that restaurant workers are under constant pressure, hence why we leave great tips. However, some people don’t understand that. Recently, a rude man didn’t leave a tip at a New Jersey brewery. So the surrounding town decided to raise money for the server – and you’ll never believe how much they raised!
Town Raise $2000
The Glenbrook Brewery in Morristown, New Jersey, recently reopened after the coronavirus pandemic. That meant the restaurant had to follow some strict guidelines upon reopening. These state guidelines include 50% seating capacity, digital menus, and a 90-minute seating limit. It was this last rule that upset one particular customer. After his 90 minutes were up at the Morristown brewpub, he became highly irate when asked to leave. Eventually, when he did go, the rude customer left no tip for his waitress, Beth, instead leaving a cruel message: “Don’t kick paying customers out after 90 minutes.” As if the restaurant had made the rules themselves!
Soon enough, news of this man’s horrendous decision made its way online. Jeff Haag, of the Morristown Stimulus Facebook group, first spoke publically about the story. “This is not an irregular occurrence,” he stated.” We’ve stressed throughout this entire (pandemic), make sure you’re tipping properly. At a minimum you should be paying 20 percent.” Waitress Beth agreed with Haag’s assessment. “It happens more than you think,” she concurred. “People just don’t bring attention to it.”
Thankfully, the Morristown Stimulus Group includes many small businesses from the state. As many of them have also been through a tough year, they felt just as upset. However, they wanted to do more than just support Beth with words. They also wanted to support her financially. So, the Facebook Group set up a small, private fundraiser to help replace Beth’s tip. Haag had no idea the response he’d receive! “[The donations] really just poured in,” Haag said. “It was pretty intense actually.”
Supporting A Server Who Got No Tip
Soon enough, the Morristown Stimulus Group had raised over $2000 for Beth at The Glenbrook Brewery! “It’s indescribable, the kindness, and the generosity, it’s just beautiful!” said the waitress. Meanwhile, Glenbrook co-owner Darren Cregan is happy to see that people have a better understanding of the situation, due to the fundraiser, even if he’s not pleased about the ongoing restrictions. “If anything, the people that have in come are more aware of our situation and are understanding,” he said.
On the other hand, Beth, the waitress, has not allowed the publicity to affect her – she’s still working as hard as ever! In fact, the part-time nurse, part-time waitress says all the money won’t stay in her pocket: she wants to split much of it with her coworkers. Meanwhile, Beth plans to donate a good chunk of the money to others in need, be they homeless or medical workers. “In the end, it’s all about the brewery!” the waitress said.
Of course, both Beth and Cregan would like to see the customer come back into the brewery after the situation stirred up. All they need to do is follow the guidelines and apologize. “An apology would go a long way,” Cregan said. Hopefully, they do so!
Sources: MorristownGreen, The Today Show