The catering industry was one of the industries most affected during the entire coronavirus pandemic, forcing many businesses across the country to close. For a restaurant owner in Florida, there was a glimmer of light in the darkness when a generous customer left a tip of $10,000 for 10 employees who worked that night. CBS 4.
Shawn Shepherd, owner of Wahoo Seafood Grill in Gainesville, told Weekly newspaper When customers came in on Tuesday night, business was a bit slow. When he finished eating, he asked to take a look at the entire restaurant staff who were working that night.
“He said he was grateful for them to show up and everything they went through,” Shepard said. “He said he wanted to tip everyone $1,000.”
Shepherd said that when everything was checked and the money was sent to the bank, 10 employees who worked that night received a check.
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Shepherd said that in his 35 years of restaurant experience, he has never seen such a tip, especially for all employees.
For many people who received tips, this greatly boosted morale.
Tipping is more meaningful to other employees.
“one [my employees] Shepherd said: “There was a child with multiple sclerosis in the hospital that needed a lot of attention. The waiter had to rest more time than usual, but by the grace of God, this person showed up.”
Another Shepherd employee started to stand up after spending some time in the shelter.
“He did a great job, and now with this, he can really move on,” Shepard said.
He said that other employees who were not working that night were not jealous or hostile. They are happy for their colleagues, and this experience rejuvenates employees.
Thousands of restaurants were forced to close due to the impact of the pandemic, and Shepherd’s experience was no exception. He said that the weekend he had to pay bills, sales tax and insurance was the same weekend the indoor restaurant was closed.
In the next two weeks, Shepherd worked with organizations to find any kind of relief for his restaurant before joining the salary protection program, but this was just the beginning of what he called the roller coaster.
When the restaurant reopened in May 2020, he had people ready to work, but business was slow. The surge in cases in the summer has a greater impact on the business, but customers began to return in November. However, Shepard said he was understaffed at the time. As more and more people are vaccinated against COVID-19, the business continues to grow.
Shepherd said he has been working in the Gainesville restaurant without interruption for more than a month. Although it is difficult, customers like Tuesday night feel it is worth it.
“It’s difficult, it makes you wonder why you want to do this, but it happened on Tuesday night,” he said. “The response was overwhelming. It reinvigorated why I do what I do and why I love the industry. I have this energy again. Back in April and May 2020, I almost gave up. This will To get better, we will make it pass, or at least we will waver.”
