In the United States, tipping is a part of the dining culture. As a rule of thumb, you should pay anywhere from 15 to 20 percent of the total bill in gratuity. However, great servers tend to receive more than that. Maurice Green decided that his waiter should get more than the usual amount. He was a kind man, but he went on to change his mind about it once he saw the way the server reacted to his act of kindness!
Diner Gave Server A Tip Of $100 But Changed His Mind After Seeing The Reaction Of The Waiter
He Noticed The Young Server
Maurice Green had been enjoying his order at a Don Pablo’s location in Dallas, Texas. During this visit, he could not help but notice how kind and hardworking his server was. The young man in question goes by the name Johnny. It turns out that he was going through financial hardship at the time.
He Noticed The Young Server
Asking Him How He Was
Green made sure to talk to the waiter because he had an inkling suspicion that the young man was down in the dumps. When he asked how Johnny was doing, the server let out a sigh. He admitted that things were “kind of rough.” This did not surprise Green, who told him, “I kind of sensed that.”
Asking Him How He Was
It Was Not Mindless Chitchat
This conversation was not for nothing. Green had an idea in mind. He wanted to change things for Johnny and improve the state of his day. The customer felt bad for the young man and had the means to help him out. This is the reason Green gave him a generous tip of a hundred bucks.
It Was Not Mindless Chitchat
His Desire To Help Out
“I want to sow into your life,” you can hear Green say in the video as he handed Johnny the tip. How did the young man react to that? Johnny took the money and looked at the ground. It looked like he was at a loss for words at that moment. Not only that, but it looked like he was trying not to cry.
His Desire To Help Out
How Much It Meant To Him
Once he regained his composure, Johnny told him, “You just paid off my car, sir.” He went on to rub his eyes and slip the tip into his apron. Someone else noticed the way he reacted to this. The woman with Green went, “Aww.” Johnny, on the other hand, leaned over to shake hands with Green.
How Much It Meant To Him
The Reason Behind This
Green took the time to explain why he left such a big tip for the server. He told Johnny, “I wanna sow into your life because I can see you’re working hard, and I think you’ve had a bad day. So, God told me to sow into your life big time.” Doesn’t that just warm your heart?
The Reason Behind This
It Was Not His Idea But Hers
He also explained that he was not the person who came up with the idea. In fact, the woman with him had been the one to suggest it. “Well, it was actually her,” he explained as he pointed at her. Green said, “She said, ‘Give him 20 percent, plus add a zero to it.’ So, I said, ‘Babe, I’m going to do better than that.’”
It Was Not His Idea But Hers
A Word To The Wise
‘“I’m going to give him the 20 percent and then $100!’” Green went on. He also had words of advice for the young man. “Keep being who you are, keep being nice, don’t let people frustrate you, because people are not nice, and this family – the Green family – wants to bless you. Merry Christmas!”
A Word To The Wise
It Was A Lot To Take In
While Green was speaking, Johnny wiped his eyes with a napkin. It looked like he was overwhelmed by this random act of kindness. Who wouldn’t be in his shoes? Clearly, the young man did not expect this at all. The server listened to what the customer had to say and gently said, “Thank you.”
It Was A Lot To Take In
Doing Even Better Than That
After seeing the way Johnny reacted, Green realized that he had not done enough. This is why he took out even more cash! “You know what? We can do better than that. Here you go, another $100, here you go!” said the customer as he held out more money and offered it up to Johnny.
Doing Even Better Than That
He Just Could Not Believe It
Once he heard this, Johnny used his hands to cover his eyes. He could not believe that something like this was actually happening. This was not what he expected at all. “Here’s another $100,” said Green. At last, the young man took the bill. Johnny then backed away with his face covered once again.
He Just Could Not Believe It
That Was Not The End Of It
It looks like the Christmas spirit was truly in the air on that day. Green did not stop there either. “You know what?” he said again. “We can do better than that, here’s another $100!” Can you believe that he pulled out another bill and handed it to the waiter? As you can imagine, Johnny was in total shock.
That Was Not The End Of It
His Luck Has Truly Changed
Johnny could not believe his good fortune. He was frozen to the spot and covered his face again. “Here you go. There you go, sir. Come on!” exclaimed his generous customer. After a few moments, Johnny finally moved in to take the bill in his hands. “That’s $300,” Green told him. “You just got blessed.”
His Luck Has Truly Changed
How He Showed His Appreciation
“Merry Christmas!” the diner told Johnny gleefully. The young man could not take it any longer and broke down in tears. It was too much. He went up to Green and embraced him to show his appreciation. We are sure that this more than made up for the bad day that he was having before that.
How He Showed His Appreciation
The Video Went Viral
The story went viral when the footage of this encounter was posted online. We are not surprised to hear that it was such a hit among the netizens. After all, there is nothing quite like seeing random acts of kindness. This is truly the embodiment of the Christmas spirit. Green is truly an extraordinary man.
The Video Went Viral
People Wanted To Chime In
A lot of viewers were touched when they heard the story. As a matter of fact, some of them could not hold back their tears upon watching the video. Sadly, there are still people who questioned the intention of Green. Many of them could not believe that any person would do such a thing.
People Wanted To Chime In
It Was An Act of Kindness
On the bright side, many more people recognized that Green was doing it out of goodwill. They were wowed by his kindness. This is not something you see every day. When SoShareThis retold the story, La’Shay Manning of Atlanta took the opportunity to share how she felt once she watched the video.
It Was An Act Of Kindness
A Moving Gesture
On the website, Manning explained, “I was very touched by what Maurice did. What makes the video so beautiful is knowing that there are still some good people in the world, knowing the fact that people can touch other’s hearts in unexpected ways.” She went on, “This was the most beautiful video ever.”
A Moving Gesture
We Can Follow In His Footsteps
Green and his companion deserve kudos and more for what they did. They certainly improved Johnny’s day, to say the least. We just hope that this story has inspired other people to do the same thing. Not everyone can give away hundreds of dollars, but we can all do something to brighten other’s days.
We Can Follow In His Footsteps
Everyone Can Use A Break
Johnny is not the only person who is in need of a break, however. Cayla Chandara is yet another individual who has found herself struggling. She has to work two jobs to pay the bills. We bet that she was delighted when she received $400 in tips! She had no idea that this was only the beginning…
Everyone Can Use A Break
How She Wound Up In Hawaii
Cayla Chandara hails from California. In 2015, however, she decided that it was time to expand her horizons. This is the reason she found herself moving across the Pacific to Hawaii. Her plan was to attend university in the Aloha State. Sadly, things did not go as planned for the young woman.
How She Wound Up In Hawaii
Once She Got There
Once she got to Hawaii, Chandra found herself in a tight spot. She found it hard to keep up with school while trying to make enough money to make ends meet. It was not an easy decision for her, but she ultimately decided to give up her studies so that she can work more.
Once She Got There
How She Made Ends Meet
As a matter of fact, she had to work two waitressing gigs to pay the bills. We all know that Honolulu is not a cheap place She worked at the Cheesecake Factory, as well as Noi Thai Cuisine. Even though she dropped out, she still had a pretty long way to go before she could pay off her school loans.
How She Made Ends Meet
The First Time This Has Happened
Most of the time, there was nothing interesting that happened during her shifts. However, this time was not unlike the rest. There is a good chance that she will never be able to forget this specific workday in 2017. You can even say that it changed her life! This is hardly an exaggeration no matter how you look at it.
The First Time This Has Happened
Just Another Day On The Job
Chandara had been working her shift at Noi Thai Cuisine at the time. As usual, she struck up chitchat with her patrons. There is nothing strange about this part. She found herself talking to a lovely couple from Australia. But this time around, she went on to open up to the pair of customers.
Just Another Day On The Job
They Asked Her About Hawaii
You are probably wondering how that even came about. The couple was curious to see what it was like living in Hawaii. They wanted to hear her story. How did she get there? How did she like it? Chandara replied to their questions by saying that she had to work two full-time jobs to make ends meet.
They Asked Her About Hawaii
She Had To Leave School
On top of that, she shared with them how she gave up her dream because of this. “I told them I moved here for school, but I was kind of in a little bit of debt and I couldn’t go back to school, because I couldn’t afford it,” the young woman later recounted to KHON.
She Had To Leave School
They Listened To Her Story
The couple paid attention to her as she told her tale. Once Chandara left to carry on with her other tasks, they ate their meal in peace. The waitress did not think much of the interaction until it was time for her to pick up the bill from their table. She was surprised by what she saw it.
They Listened To Her Story
The Tip That They Left For Her
For the meal, the couple needed to pay $200 to cover their food. Chandara was surprised when she took a closer look at the check, however. She could not believe what she was looking at. Did they really leave her such a big tip? Just so you know, the space for gratuity said $400!
The Tip That They Left For Her
She Could Not Hold Back Her Tears
“There were tears streaming, no words at all. Just hugs,” the young waitress explained when she talked to Honolulu Civil Beat. She went on, “I went back to work in tears and all my tables were crying because I told them what happened. We were all crying and hugging. It was a cool experience.”
She Could Not Hold Back Her Tears
Their Generosity Blew Her Away
“I just thought it was so generous of them. I never get tipped that big. I had to say thank you,” Chandara shared with KHON2. Luckily, she knew where to find the couple. She explained, “During dinner, they told me where they were staying, so I ran there after work to see if they’d still be there.”
Their Generosity Blew Her Away
How She Repaid Their Kindness
Chandara went to the hotel in question. She made sure to buy some flowers and a card for them. It was her goal to show them how much she appreciated what they did for her. You would think that this was the end of the story, but there was more to it than that. Are you ready to hear what came next?
How She Repaid Their Kindness
They Came Back For Her
The day after that, the couple went back to the restaurant in the hopes of seeing Chandara once more. It turns out that they had one more trick up their sleeves! You see, the pair wanted to lend the young waitress a hand. They were willing to pay off her student loan so that the server could go back to school.
They Came Back For Her
How Much It Cost Them
Just so you know, this meant giving her more than $10,000. Chandara was surprised, but she initially declined their kind offer. She appreciated it, but it was too much. After talking about it some more, she agreed to take them up on their offer. The couple was thrilled to hear this turn of events.
How Much It Cost Them
Doing It For Her
“I told them they couldn’t do that for me but they really wanted to,” she explained to Honolulu Civil Beat. Chandara added, “They said it would be just as good for them to do it for me. Then they took care of my current loans and balances and they’re going to pay for the rest of college.”
Doing It For Her
It Was Too Much
“I was like, ‘No way, you don’t have to do that for me. I just wanted to say thank you,’” Chandara shared with KTLA. She said that it had not even sunk in for her just yet. To be fair, it was truly unbelievable. She said, “I still don’t feel like it’s real. I want to run around in the streets.”
It Was Too Much
How She Can Pay Them Back
What makes this all the more impressive is that the couple did not want anything in return from her. Chandara asked them how she could repay them, but they only told the young woman, “Be your best possible self, dream big and strive for your goals.” It is a good thing that this is what she wants to do.
How She Can Pay Them Back
What She Plans To Do Next
We bet that you are curious about her plans. She is hoping to go back to school and take up business and liberal arts. Chandara wants to show the couple that their efforts did not go to waste. “I want to make them proud,” the young woman shared with KTLA. “I will take this opportunity with an open heart.”
What She Plans To Do Next
They Do Not Want Clout
Isn’t it amazing to hear that the strangers want to stay anonymous? Clearly, they are not in it for the clout. For the couple, it is more than enough to know that they have allowed a young woman to reach her full potential. Thanks to this act of kindness, Chandara is now in a position to achieve her dreams!
They Do Not Want Clout