‘COVID Bandit’ leaves $1,400 tip, enough to give each bakery employee $200
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ESTES PARK, Colo. - A generous customer lifted the spirits of an entire Colorado bakery after leaving a tip large enough to send all seven employees home with $200.
On Jan. 20, a customer — who wishes to be identified only as "the COVID Bandit" — surprised the staff at Notchtop Bakery & Cafe with a $1,400 tip.
The owner, Nailya Khametvalieva, said COVID Bandit is a regular and Gloria Fuentes just happened to be his server that day.
COVID Bandit asked her how many employees were working, then calculated that into his massive tip.
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Across the top of the receipt, he wrote: "COVID Sucks! $200 for each employee today."
Across the top of the receipt, the COVID Bandit wrote: “COVID Sucks! $200 for each employee today.” (Source: Notchtop Bakery & Cafe )
The restaurant industry has been hit particularly hard by the pandemic. According to FOX News, many customers have been leaving large tips at their favorite establishments.
The COVID Bandit is just the latest example of selflessness, which proved to be timely for Fuentes — who said working as a server amid the pandemic has been a struggle for everyone.
"You have to take it one day at a time and you don’t know what’s going to happen next," Fuentes told KDVR.
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The staff showed their gratitude by posing for a photo and posting it, along with the receipt, on their Facebook page.
The staff showed their gratitude by posing for a photo and posting it, along with the receipt, on their Facebook page.(Source: Notchtop Bakery & Cafe )
And though their masks shielded their smiles from the camera, the Facebook post summed up how each of them felt about the COVID Bandit.
"Thank you ‘COVID Bandit’ for you generous gift to our staff," the post said. "Your gift has touched many lives."
This story was reported from Atlanta.