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Wisconsin waitress gets $1,000 tip from Christmas customer

One customer decided to give an unexpected Christmas present after seeing her deal with the morning customers.
Credit: SkyLine - stock.adobe.com

MADISON, Wis. — Tis the season: a Wisconsin waitress got an unexpected Christmas morning present from a customer — a $1,000 tip.

Callie Blue, 29, was waiting tables at Gus's Diner in Sun Prairie, just outside Madison, at 6 a.m. Sunday when she started chatting with one of the few customers in the restaurant at that early Christmas hour, the Wisconsin State Journal reported. After the meal, she checked the tip and saw an unexpectedly massive sum. He had left her a $1,000 tip.

The customer was Michael Johnson, president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County. He told the newspaper he was looking for people in need to provide money to as part of the club’s Pay It Forward campaign. Two donors had given about $5,000 for tip money.

He said his Christmas Day schedule was booked with families he planned to help starting at 7:30 a.m. so he searched the internet for restaurants open at 6 a.m. and learned about Gus's Diner. He also had gotten an email about Blue and wanted to measure her customer service skills and demeanor.

After watching her deal with the early morning crowd on Christmas, he was impressed enough to pull $1,000 from the $5,000 tip money. 

Johnson said about a dozen servers got big tips over the last few days, but Blue got the biggest one because it was Christmas morning and she was the last recipient.

Blue called the tip amazing and said she'll use it to help feed her four horses.

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