‘Hope this helps’: Former NFL star Chad Johnson tips $1,000 on restaurant check

Why have we been eating like little kids amid the pandemic?

Comfort foods have been known to help reduce stress.

A server at Havana’s Cuban Cuisine got an unexpected but welcome surprise when Chad Johnson left them a $1,000 tip.

The former NFL star shared an image of a restaurant check on Twitter on May 18, where a $1,000 tip was left for a $37.40 meal. Beneath the signature on the check was a personalized message: “Congrats on re-opening, sorry about the pandemic, hope this helps. ‘I love you.’”

Liked over 8,000 times, Twitter users were quick to praise the former wide receiver for his generosity.

Leaving large tips at restaurants is not unfamiliar territory for Johnson. In 2019, he was known to leave large tips that referenced some of his NFL stats and achievements. And in 2018, he shared images of hefty tips that were accompanied by appreciative messages.

Even as restaurants reopened under new guidelines in Florida, they still will likely face struggles moving forward in the pandemic. Unemployment rates are still at historic levels across the country. For Florida in particular, the statewide unemployment rate was 4.3% in March.

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Amid the reopenings, the COVID-19 pandemic still rages on, with health officials still speaking out on the risks involved in reopening too soon. Speaking remotely with members of Congress, the NIH’s Dr. Anthony Fauci emphasized last week the health dangers of hastening reopenings and ignoring official guidance.

“There is a real risk that you will trigger an outbreak that you might not be able to control. Not only leading to some suffering and death, but it could even set you back on the road to get economic recovery,” Fauci said.

The number of deaths in the United States attributed to the novel coronavirus topped 90,000 on May 18, according to the Johns Hopkins’ Coronavirus Resource Center. The number of confirmed cases soared past 1.5 million in the country. Across the world, there were nearly 5 million confirmed cases of COVID-19.