Emily Bauer began working at Red Hook Seafood and Bar two weeks before receiving the biggest tip of her life.
A couple tipped her $2,000 with a note that said, "Merry Christmas! Keep working hard!" for her outstanding customer service. However, her boss claimed that the customer's card "was declined." Therefore, he couldn't process the amount to Emily.
On A Busy Sunday
This incident occurred on a busy Sunday. A couple sitting at a table in Emily's section noticed how overwhelmed and exhausted she was.
As restaurant owners themselves, they understood how challenging working in the service industry could be. “I kept apologizing. ‘I’m sorry. I’m being slow.’ He was just like, ‘I understand.’ He also mentioned he owned restaurants, so he knew how hard it was to be a server,” Emily said. Then, suddenly, the couple canceled their order and left.
A $2,000 Tip
The customers didn't leave any contact information, so it was impossible for her to track them.
Emily was shocked to see a $2,000 tip lying on the table with a note that said, "Merry Christmas! Keep working hard!" "I was like, 'Wait.' I just opened it and started crying. I was like, 'Oh, my God! My kids! I'm going to spend it all on my kids," Emily explained. 'Oh, my God.' I've never had a Christmas where I've been able to, like, splurge on them." However, her manager refused to allow her to process the money, saying that the restaurant policy had a $500 limit.
They Refused To Give Her The Money
Emily then suggested splitting the tip into four sections with her colleagues, but the restaurant management refused to give her the money.
Her coworkers tried to convince the manager to give Emily her payment. Some employees weren't even aware of a tip limit at the restaurant.
No One Have Heard Of This Policy
"Everybody I've talked to has been like, 'I've never heard of that before.' If it's left to you and signed by that person, then you should be able to get it," Emily said.
"I don't think it's our responsibility as a server to say, 'Oh, you can't tip me that much, I'm sorry. Oh no, there's a limit, I'm sorry.' If that's the case, there should be signs posted in the restaurant or the receipt to say there's a limit of $500," Emily said.
She Turned To Social Media
Emily also explained that the customer who left her the generous tip contacted the restaurant to express his disappointment that she wasn't able to process her tip.
Emily posted the ticket on her Facebook profile, hoping that the couple would see it. "Even though I can't receive it, thank you. Thank you for having such a big heart. This world is filled with messed-up people. It's like how did he know I needed that?"
They Published An Article
Since the media outlets could not reach the restaurant's owners to get their side of the story, they primarily focused on Emily's story.
Shortly after the article was published, the restaurant owner left a comment on the channel's Facebook page.
The Owner's Response
"Unfortunately, KENS 5 did not tell the entire story, nor did Emily. The tip was tried multiple times by management, Emily, and the owner and would not post. It was INVALID," the management commented.
"The gentleman called and was told the tip would not take. We asked him to come back to the restaurant to pay Emily in cash or check. He said "ok" and hung up, but he did mention he had a lot of money & owned 3 restaurants in San Antonio. Unfortunately, he has not come by the restaurant. We told Emily to contact the news, but she left out details…"
His Card Was Declined
According to the owner, the customer's card was declined as they tried to process the money to Emily.
“KENS 5 never questioned us, instead they ran a FALSE news report about our business. Please stop harassing us. We don’t have the $2000 tip, nor was it ever posted because it was INVALID!”
Emily's Response
Emily replied to the owner's comment: "I wasn't going to address this because I did not contact the news to harass my place of work, I contacted the news because you told me to. I did not lie about anything, and I didn't leave out anything."
"I told the truth and the whole story; they only chose to add what they wanted and edited out some of it. That's what the news does. Our interview was 15-20 minutes long. I told them everything from start to end…"
They Took Emily's Side
Most people favored Emily's side of the story. "San Antonio needs to boycott this restaurant if the owner does not give the waitress her tip. The name of the restaurant is very visible," one person wrote.
Most servers get paid below the minimum wage because the restaurants count the tip as part of their salary.
The Restaurant Claims They Asked The Guy To Come In
"The Gentleman called after he left that evening asking if Emily would be able to receive her tip. He was told by management that the tip would NOT process and if he could come by & pay her in cash or a check written out to her, he said OK then hung up quickly," the owner wrote on the restaurant's Facebook page.
They claim that the man had not yet returned to the restaurant to pay her.
Emily Wrote On Social Media
Emily explained in her post that it wasn't in her intention to shame her workplace.
“…I did exactly what I said I was going to do. I’m trying to draw attention to the man that left it, am I not? I am not leaving anything out, and everything I have said is 100% THE TRUTH.”
The Owner Wrote Her A Check
The restaurant's owners explained that the "FALSE news report" has brought harm to their business.
Since the article was published, they have faced many negative responses. However, the issue was finally resolved when the owner wrote Emily a check for $2069,01, which was the total of what the couple wanted to pay her.
His Card Triggered A Fraud Alert
"It's Christmas time, and everybody is struggling. I'm ready to give it to her as a Christmas gift," he told the press.
The restaurant manager then explained that the couple intended to pay Emily, but their card got declined. It triggered a fraud alert, which made it impossible for them to pay her.