A restaurant in Pennsylvania has initiated legal action against a patron following a change of heart over a $3,000 tip left for a waitress.
The tipping culture in the United States often sparks debate, especially when customers tip minimally. However, the situation at Alfredo’s Cafe in Scranton, PA, was quite the opposite, leaving employees astonished.
Eric Smith visited the cafe, ordered a stromboli, and left a substantial tip.
Considering the meal cost just $13.25, the server, Mariana Lambert, was understandably moved by the generous tip.
“It really meant a lot to me because everyone’s going through stuff. It really touched my heart. I still can’t believe it. I’m still in shock,” Lambert expressed.
Matt Martini, representing Alfredo’s Cafe, sought to confirm the tip’s authenticity and collected additional identification from Smith.
Smith explained to Martini that he was motivated by a social media movement called ‘Tips for Jesus’ after experiencing Lambert’s service.
Despite Martini’s verification attempts, the situation deteriorated when, weeks later, the cafe was informed through a letter that Smith was contesting the tip charge.
Zachary Jacobson, another cafe employee, recounted, “We thought somebody was actually trying to do a good thing. And then now we are, what, three months later? Not even, and there’s nothing. There’s nothing to show for it at this point.”
Since the $3,000 had already been given to Lambert, Alfredo’s had to reimburse Smith from their funds.
Attempts to resolve the matter with Smith through Facebook were unsuccessful, leading the cafe to file a civil lawsuit.
“Unfortunately, we had to file charges through the magistrate’s office because now we’re just out of this money at this point. And he told us to sue him. So that’s what we’re going to end up doing, I guess,” Jacobson stated.
Though the community attempted to support Alfredo’s Cafe via a GoFundMe campaign, the cafe declined the donations, resulting in the fundraiser being discontinued.
Two years on from the incident, there appears to be no further development in the lawsuit filed by Alfredo’s.