Terminally Ill Man Leaves $1,000 Tip at Gatlinburg Restaurant
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Saturday began as an ordinary, busy day for the staff at Burg Steakhouse in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
"It started pretty much like any other Saturday would. You know, we filled up as soon as we opened the doors, and we were busy until we closed the doors," Ashley Rackstraw, a head server at the restaurant, recalled to WATE of the bustling spring break period.
One diner, however, managed to stand out from the crush of hungry vacationers.
After lunch at Burg Steakhouse with his daughter, the man returned a few hours later for dinner.
The customer, who reportedly wished to remain anonymous, told the staff he was terminally ill and asked the restaurant to split a $1,000 tip amongst the whole staff. He explained that he wanted to spend his money on others before he died.
The mystery man also picked up the tab for two other tables.
His only request? That people pay it forward.
"I was like, 'wow,'" Rackshaw told WATE. "It was a humbling moment."
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According to the station, everyone working at Burg Steakhouse that night took home an extra $40 each.
"All I'm wanting to do is go up to him and give him a hug and tell him 'thank you,'" Rackstraw said. "That was really generous of him."
