Dwayne Clarke left a $3,000 tip to spread some holiday cheer at a diner in Washington. (Aegis Living)
A patron at a Washington state diner gave its employees a good reason to celebrate the season with a $3,000 tip and a sweet holiday message.
Dwayne Clarke, 59, ordered his usual last Saturday, but he wanted to do something different for the staff at The Brief Encounter Cafe in Bellevue, Wash.
Staffers described him to WLTX him as a friendly guy who always sits in the same booth and orders the same breakfast: eggs over easy, hash browns and extra crispy bacon.
Clarke, the CEO of Aegis Living, left a $3,000 tip on a $39.60 bill without saying anything else to the workers.
On the back of the receipt he wrote the following:
“You guys do a great job! When I was 7, I washed dishes and my mom cooked in a diner like this. We were dirt poor and didn’t have money for Christmas. Hopefully, this will help all of you have a better Christmas.”
RESTAURANT PATRONS ARE LEAVING HUGE TIPS FOR SERVERS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
He also left his cell phone number in case the credit card company questioned the validity of the tip.
Staffers were reportedly in tears, with several saying the money was needed.
Clarke would like to see his act of kindness become a larger movement.
“We are living in this great time of not connecting with each other — whether it’s the political situation, or whether it’s technology,” Clark told the TODAY Show. “I think the reason (people like this story) is not because of the money, but because of this shared connection. Wouldn’t it be great if we all fed each other’s souls in a positive way?”
It seems like his plan worked.
Waitress Julie Wilson, 42, told TODAY that she plans to use part of her share to buy five holiday turkey dinners for homeless families at her local Safeway.
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