In today’s tipping culture, it seems you’re in a no-win situation—don’t tip and face criticism; tip a small amount and you’re labeled as stingy; tip a large amount and you might get someone fired.
This unfortunate scenario played out at the Oven & Tap restaurant in Arkansas in 2021. Ryan Brandt, a server, had just completed an exhausting shift serving over 40 business executives.
Brandt’s exceptional service led to her receiving a generous tip of $4,400, a moment documented by Rebecca Soto, one of the diners.
Soto shared the video on Instagram, expressing: “I’m humbled to have been part of something so beautiful and generous. To bless someone else without previously knowing them.”
She added: “I have been blessed, so it is wonderful to pay it forward and bless someone else.”
Brandt was presented the tip by businessman Grant Wise, as captured in the viral video.
Wise told Brandt: “Everybody at this table has contributed or tipped $100 for you, and for the other waitress, who unfortunately had to go home because she wasn’t feeling well.”
He continued, “We are tipping you a total of $4,400 for you to split with the other girl that took care of us.”
Overwhelmed with gratitude, Brandt expressed her thanks, only for her joy to be short-lived when she was dismissed shortly after.
Brandt later reported to KNWA News: “I was told that I was going to be giving my cash over to my shift manager, and I would be taking home 20 percent.”
She noted that in her three years at the restaurant, she had never been required to share her tips with colleagues.
After Wise learned of Brandt’s situation, he reportedly requested the money back, according to Distractify.
Once retrieved, the tip was again given to Brandt, this time outside the restaurant to ensure she kept all of it.
Upon returning to the restaurant, Brandt claimed she was terminated for keeping the tip, a claim Oven & Tap denies.
In an interview with a local news station, Brandt stated: “It was devastating.”
“I borrowed a significant amount for student loans, and with payments resuming, it’s a harsh reality,” she explained.
Oven & Tap owners Mollie Mullis and Luke Wetzel responded with a statement to KNWA, saying: “We commend the organization that dined with us and generously gave to our staff. They have an absolute right to tip whoever they want, and we honored that request.
“Oven & Tap doesn’t deliver terminations lightly. Because we value our employees and highly respect their privacy, we never discuss personnel issues. The server who was terminated several days after the group dined with us was not let go because she chose to keep the tip money. The other two servers who received generous tips that evening from the Witly organization – including one who also received $2,200 – are still members of our team.
“Oven & Tap has always been committed to providing fair and quality compensation to all members of our restaurant team. We recognize and regret that a recent incident in our restaurant could have been handled differently by reminding our team how we would be splitting any tips prior to the event, however, our policy has always been to participate in a tip pool/share with the staff. Tip sharing is a common restaurant industry practice that we follow to ensure all of our team members are adequately compensated for their hard work.”