Server asks customer to wear mask — then gets ‘mask’ as a tip, Pennsylvania pub says

Dawson White
·3 min read

A customer at a pub in Pennsylvania opted to not leave a tip Sunday evening after a server asked him to put on a mask, the pub says. Instead, he wrote “mask” on the tip line.

Jamie Ledwith, a server at John Henry’s Pub of Ardmore, said a group walked into the establishment and through the bar without wearing masks, WPVI reported.

“So I asked them politely, ‘If you’re walking through the bar, or standing, just put your mask on until you’re seated,’” she told WPVI.

There are multiple signs around the restaurant telling patrons to put on masks due to COVID-19 concerns, WCAU reported.

“It’s ... the governor’s rule and also my rule.” Kathy Kearney, owner of John Henry’s Pub, told the outlet.

After Ledwith asked the patrons to put on masks, there was no heated argument or confrontation — she said they just “brushed it off,” Philadelphia Magazine reported.

One man “said it wasn’t a big deal that he didn’t have a mask on,” Ledwith told the magazine. “And I told him that it wasn’t my rule, it was just the rule.”

Later, Ledwith brought the bill for $23.50. After the patron filled out the sales receipt, she noticed something odd — he hadn’t left a tip, WCAU reported. Instead, he’d written the word “mask” on the tip line, photos show.

Ledwith told Kearney what happened and Kearney posted the receipt to the pub’s Facebook page.

A patron left the work “mask” on the tip line after a server asked him to put on a mask at John Henry’s Pub of Ardmore in Pennsylvania, the pub says.
A patron left the work “mask” on the tip line after a server asked him to put on a mask at John Henry’s Pub of Ardmore in Pennsylvania, the pub says.

“When your staff politely asks a customer to wear a mask until seated, this is how they are disrespected,” the caption said. “Totally unacceptable. ‘YOU’ should be ashamed of yourself!!”

Kearney and Ledwith said they aren’t frustrated about the money.

“It’s not about the $5 tip that would’ve been 20%,” Kearney told WCAU. “It’s about the disrespect. It’s about us working hard and it’s just like a slap in the face.”

“I couldn’t even tell you how much I don’t care about the money,” Ledwith told the station. “Right now, it’s hard for us. I don’t want to tell you what to do. I really don’t want to tell any other adult what to do.”

After the photo of the receipt was posted on social media, Ledwith said people in the community started to show their support.

“Somebody did leave me a card under the door with a little bit of money in it and their kids signed the card. That was super sweet,” she told WPVI.

Another patron wrote “sorry they were mean,” on their own sales slip, Philadelphia Magazine reported, and regulars at the pub asked if they could send Ledwith money through Venmo.

“You try to be nice, but sometimes people are rude and disrespectful anyway,” Ledwith told the magazine. “I’m just glad that 99% of them are awesome. I love the restaurant, and I love my customers.”

Ardmore is just west of Philadelphia.

Since the onset of the pandemic, Pennsylvania has had 160,772 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 8,272 deaths, according to Wednesday data from the state Department of Health.