Waitress Given $5,000 Tip Says She's Going To Give It Away

A waitress in the US who was given a $5,000 (£3,700) tip plans to give it away.

Gianna DiAngelo, from Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, was working at Anthony's At Paxon on Saturday when the customer left her 'stunned' with his bumper tip.

Gianna DiAngelo

The diner, who was donning festive fancy dress, was part of a table of four that ran up a comparatively small bill of $204.94 (£150).

Reflecting on the remarkable moment the diner left the tip, 18-year-old nursing student Gianna told the Metro: "I didn't recognise them, they just looked like regular customers who ordered regular things off the menu.

"But then towards the end of the night one of the guys pulled me aside and said, 'What sort of tip would make everything better for you with the pandemic going?'

"I was just polite and said I am happy to receive any sort of tip.

"Then as I went to sort the bill out, I saw the tip and I was just completely speechless. I could not believe it.

"I ran back out there to thank him and tell him it means the world to me. I told him it's a sign of hope at a time like this and said that it means more than money to me."

But while the tip is clearly astonishingly generous, Gianna's plans for the money are just as admirable. Any 18-year-old student/waitress would be well within their rights to pocket the whole lot, but Gianna intends on using it to help others too.

Gianna DiAngelo

She said: "I plan to put the money to good use. I'll split it with co-workers as well as the local community.

"It's an amazing gift and an amazing act of kindness.

"It is the best thing that ever happened to me."

Anthony's at Paxton was opening its doors for the last time on Saturday before a lockdown, with all bars and restaurants ordered to shut in Pennsylvania amid rising numbers of coronavirus cases.

Gianna - who has worked there for three years - said the tip offered them a gleam of hope at this bleak time.

She said: "It's a blessing for us as a small business who is struggling during the pandemic.

"It shows that there is still some good left in the community.

"This has given us hope that we will get through this terrible time and everything will be OK.

"It's a once in a lifetime experience and I will forever be thankful."

Topics: Awesome, Inspirational, Interesting, US News, Community

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey