Waitress sacked after receiving £3,400 tip from customer

After you and your mates have finally agreed on how you’re paying the bill for dinner, there comes another question.

How much to tip the staff – that’s if they’ve not already gone and added the charge to your meal already.

The whole idea of tipping culture is well-discussed online, especially over in the US. Tips for staff are pretty much expected in America, with it being a way workers make a large chunk of their money.

But still, we’re not exactly talking about every diner paying huge sums to their waiters. And for staff finishing a long shift, making that extra cash can really make a difference.

Especially for this waiter, as she was tipped an enormous $4,400 (£3,400).

Instagram/@rebeccasoto_legacy

Ryan Brandt served a table of around 40 business executives at Arkansas spot, Oven & Tap, with every diner leaving about $100 (£77) to her and another server who’d been working with her.

However, instead of it being a happy night for Brand with a couple thousand dollars in her pocket, she actually ended up getting sacked.

A video shared back in 2021 showed businessman Grant Wise giving her the huge tip, leaving her in tears.

But she later revealed 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 per cent."

Brandt explained that she’d been at Oven & Tap for over three years and was never told she’d have to share out her tips before.

And once Wise found out, it’s said he asked for the money back.

Instagram/@rebeccasoto_legacy

The bloke said he called the place beforehand to check the tipping policy and was told that the money would go directly to the staff members waiting on the table.

So, after getting the tip back, he gave it to Brandt outside the premise to ensure she’d get to keep it all.

She says that when she did then go back to work, she found she’d been fired for taking the cash – something Oven & Tap have denied.

Brandt told the local news station: "It was devastating.

"I borrowed a significant amount for student loans. Most of them were turned off because of the pandemic, but they’re turning back on in January and that’s a harsh reality."

Oven & Tap provided a statement to the outlet: “After dining, this large group of guests requested that their gratuity be given to two particular servers. We fully honoured their request. Out of respect for our highly valued team members, we do not discuss the details surrounding the termination of an employee."

LADbible contacted the restaurant for comment.

Topics: Money, Viral

Jess Battison

Jess is an Entertainment Journalist with a love of all things pop culture. Her main interests include keeping up with the Twitter girlies, waiting for a new series of The Traitors and losing her voice at a Beyoncé concert. She graduated with a first in Journalism from City, University of London in 2021 and has previously worked at MyLondon.

@jessbattison_