If somebody had tipped you $4,400 and your manager demanded that you share the money or risk being fired, what would you do? A waitress out in Arkansas was reportedly let go from her job after accepting the generous amount only to be told she wouldn’t be allowed to keep the cash for herself. According to reports, this actually happened back in 2021 at the Oven & Tap restaurant, where Ryan Brandt was serving a table of 40 business executives, who made the generous deed to surprise her with the figure-figure sum after their dinner.
The joyful moment, which was uploaded to Instagram, was short-lived because Brandt later told KNWA News that despite the hefty tip, her manager told her she would only be allowed to keep 20 percent of the total, “I was told that I was going to be giving my cash over to my shift manager, and I would be taking home 20 per cent,” she said, adding that despite having worked at the eatery for three years, this was the first time she was told to share her tip.
When business exec Grant Wise, who initially handed her the cash, found out about it, he demanded the money back, per Distractify. He’s then said to have given it back to Brandt outside of the restaurant, but when she re-entered her workplace, she was told she’d been fired from her job for “violating” the company’s policy. “It was devastating,” she expressed. “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.”
Wise and his co-workers have since opened up a GoFundMe for the server, which had raised close to $10,000 just days after people found out about her firing, clearly stunned by the shocking decision by the manager.
The restaurant has since given a statement pertaining to the situation, writing, “After dining, this large group of guests requested that their gratuity be given to two particular servers.
“We fully honored their request. Out of respect for our highly valued team members, we do not discuss the details surrounding the termination of an employee.”
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In the video posted on Instagram, Rebecca Soto, who was one of the attendees at the dinner, captioned the clip, writing, “I’m humbled to have been part of something so beautiful and generous. To bless someone else without previously knowing them.”
“I have been blessed, so it is wonderful to pay it forward and bless someone else. God bless all who contributed and the servers who received it. I pray it may be multiplied and impact their life for the better.”