Customer Leaves $2,000 Tip, Gives All 17 Cooks $100

Photo: Easyturn (Getty Images)

More often than not we hear a story about a bunch of tools who decided not to tip their waitress because of an absurd reason: usually because the customer believes a woman’s “place is at home,” or sometimes they just decide to leave an ‘LOL’ instead of actual cash. But not to worry, because this story is more on the positive end of things.

According to The Takeout, a customer named Mike decided to have quite the meal at Boka, a restaurant in Chicago. Once Mike and his five pals finished their meal, they saw their bill was $769. So Mike left $300 in tip. And because the cooks aren’t tipped employees, Mike simply walked to the back of the kitchen and gave each of the 17 cooks $100.

“It was amazing to have that happen unexpectedly and randomly, and for someone to show that amount of appreciation,” said Jon Leopold, the Boka general manager. “It’s not just about the money but spending time with people in the kitchen and telling them how wonderful of a meal it was and how important it was for the cooks to be doing what they’re doing.”

Yesterday evening, a gentleman left a $2000 tip at Boka! Mike, who was visiting from Seattle, said, “This was the absolute best service and best food I’ve ever had.” He tipped $300 for his meal, then walked around the kitchen & gave each of the 17 kitchen staff a crisp $100. pic.twitter.com/V1UQ6txzee

— Boka Chicago (@BokaChicago) April 16, 2018

And Lee Wolen, who is the executive chef, said that “many people don’t realize that staff members come in at 10 a.m. to complete less glamorous duties, like scrubbing pots, and to have a customer appreciate their work and reward them monetarily was an encouraging experience.”