Report Claims Hardworking Server Got $4,400 Tip From Diners, But Was Then Promptly Fired By Arkansas Restaurant

People sicken me.


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A do-gooder recently found himself in a giving mood and got together with several other acquaintances to put together a “$100 dinner club” during their recent diner together, out to eat at a public establishment. The idea of the club was to pool diner resources, with each customer of the establishment leaving a $100 tip as part of an effort to pay it forward during these ongoing, unprecedented times.

But the individual’s attempt to do something nice and caring for a stranger in need didn’t go according to plan, after the establishment reportedly fired the server who received the massive tip, allegedly because she wouldn’t split the money among the rest of the staff.

Grant Wise recently hosted a real estate conference in Arkansas on behalf of his company at the Oven and Tap in Bentonville, where he orchestrated the “$100 dinner club” act.

“We knew servers really hit hard through COVID and it was something that (a friend) had come up with to help give back,” Wise told local publication KFSM.

Speaking with KWNA, he said that he had called the restaurant prior to coming in to dine and enact his do-gooder plan, and had specifically confirmed the establishment’s tipping policy.

After the diners in Wise’s group chipped in their 100 dollar bill each, and a few more contributed money online, Wise’s group was able to hand over a total of $4,400 to Oven and Tap server, Ryan Brandt, who was reportedly in tears when Wise informed her of what they’d done for her.

Rebecca Soto filmed the interaction between Wise and Brandt and said it felt “wonderful” to be giving back.

“I’m humbled to have been part of something so beautiful and generous, to bless someone else without previously knowing them,” Soto stated.

But that joy was short-lived after management at Oven and Tap reportedly fired Brandt.

According to the server, her management came to her and asked that she share her large tip with the rest of her co-workers — something she had reportedly never been asked to do before, with regular-sized tips. When Wise learned of what management was asking of Brandt, he gave her the tip outside of the building, as it was not his intention to have the money split amongst all of Brandt’s co-workers.

Brandt told KNWA that management fired her “because she violated policy by telling Wise about pooling the tips.”

“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,” the former Oven and Tap server said.

Wise revealed that he was “saddened” upon hearing of Brandt’s termination over the tip, and immediately set to start a GoFundMe page to help cover her expenses.

“I don’t fully understand why this would happen to what seems like such a sweet and kind-hearted woman,” Wise wrote in a Facebook post where he included the GoFundMe information. “Nonetheless, I’m committed to showing her that there are great people in the world that will do good when they can!”

In a video update posted to the GoFundMe page, Wise said that Brandt has been offered a new job at a different restaurant since her termination at Oven and Tap and started work on December 8th.

Oven and Tap was immediately flooded with negative Google and Yelp reviews following Brandt’s termination over the tip, going so far as apparently temporarily disabling their Facebook page.

The establishment gave a statement to KNWA claiming that they “fully honored” the group’s request that the tip be given to the two servers. They did not offer any additional comments on the matter.

Featured image via screen capture 

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