Earlier this month, at the Mason Jar Cafe in Benton Harbor, Michigan, staff members were taken aback when a customer, known only as Mark, left a $10,000 tip on a $32.43 bill.

The act of generosity, which translated into a 30,835% tip, left the restaurant's manager, Tim Sweeney, and his team in disbelief, reported The Hill. 

“Typically, we’ll see every now and then $100 (tips),” Sweeney said. “But not ever anything of this gratitude or magnitude.”

According to The Hill, the customer explained that he left the tip in memory of a recently deceased friend. He also mentioned that he was in town to attend the friend's funeral.

“We went back and forth. I had a conversation with him. He wanted to proceed. The waitress was absolutely shocked,” Sweeney added. 

The act of kindness deeply moved the staff, who decided to split the tip among nine coworkers, with each receiving a little over $1,100. 

Paige Mulick, a waitress at the cafe and a recent college graduate, expressed her gratitude, noting that the money would help with her student loans. She also emphasized the dedication and hard work of her colleagues, many of whom are mothers.

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“Every dollar counts at a job like this,” Mulick further told the outlet. “We work hard. We know that some days you’re going to make more and some days you’re going to make less. That’s just part of how it goes. But we hustle hard and I think that a lot of people really deserve this.”

“Any time you can lend a hand and change somebody’s life — whether it’s a small act or a large act — it’s very important to just keep that in the forefront, keep that top of mind. A little bit goes a long way. In this situation, a lot goes a long way.”  Sweeney said. 

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This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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