Restaurant staff in tears after $1,000 tip on check of just $43

An unexpectedly massive tip left by a longtime customer of a Jersey Shore restaurant moved staff to tears of joy and gratitude.

Arnold Teixeira, the owner of The Starving Artist, in Ocean Grove, N.J., told CNN that a $1,000 gratuity left by one of his regular customers has helped him restore his “hope in humanity.”

The customer, who has been coming to the eatery for nearly 20 years, stopped by with his family one morning last week. They ordered typical breakfast items — pancakes, bacon, chocolate milk, coffee — in a bill that totaled just over $40.

Teixeira said that after they ate, they paid their bill and “left without saying a word.”

But when the staff spotted the incredible gratuity on the bill, it unleashed powerful emotions.

“When the waiter serving them saw the tip, she just started crying. Then another one of my staff members saw it and started crying, too. And then I see it, and I couldn’t help but cry. It was just extremely emotional because it’s been a really difficult time for us.”

Along with the generous tip, the customer also left a heartfelt note, to show Teixeira and the staff his appreciation for their work during the pandemic.

“Thank you so much for working through this tough time,” the customer wrote. “My family looks forward to our mornings with you every summer.”

“We are grateful for your delicious food, warm smiles, and great atmosphere… Please know we appreciate you all very much. It wouldn’t be a good summer without the Starving Artist,” he added.

Like many restaurants located in summer-dependent beach getaways, The Starving Artist, which has been in business for 21 years, is struggling amid the coronavirus pandemic.

It resumed outdoor dining on June 15, after months of being closed as a way to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.

“Things just kept getting worse. It got to the point where I was preparing for the possibility that we might not be able to reopen again. And now we aren’t even making 50% of what we usually bring in the middle of the summer season,” Teixeira said.

“But this tip restored our hope in humanity. It made us feel so good about what we’re doing. We go through a lot of steps to protect our customers, and it gets exhausting after a while, but now we know our efforts have actually been noticed.”

When sharing a picture of the bill on Facebook Teixeira said that the money was shared among the entire staff.

“This act of generosity and kindness goes beyond words!,” he wrote. “The note that accompanied the check made us all cry! Thank you from the depths of our hearts!”