Server receives $2,000 tip but restaurant cannot give her a penny of it

A waitress in Texas has been refused a $2000 tip that she received from a customer as a Christmas gift because the restuarant she works at is unable to process tip of that amount.

Emily Bauer works at the Red Hook Seafood and Bar establishment in San Antonio. After just two weeks in the job she found herself working all the tables in the restaurant on a busy Sunday shift. 

Talking to local news station KENS 5, Bauer explained that she was serving one customer and apologised for being so slow . “He was just like, ‘I understand.’ He also mentioned he owned restaurants, so he knew how hard it was to be a server, He was like, ‘Just cancel everything. Cancel everything and give me the ticket.’ So, I said okay. I gave him the ticket.”

Only after the man had left was that Bauer noticed that he had given her a very generous $2000 tip which he said was a Christmas gift and a reward for all her hard work.  “I was like, wait. I just opened it and started crying. I was like, ‘Oh my God! My kids! I’m going to spend it all on my kids. I was like, ‘Oh my God. I’ve never had a Christmas where I’ve been able to like splurge on them.'”

However, things soon turned sour when Bauer learned that the resturant couldn’t process the tip as they are unable to accept tips that are larger than $500. According to KVUE, people have suggested that they process the bill as four seperate payments but they have reportedly refused to do so as it is fraudulent.

An understandably upset Bauer now wants the restaurant to make it clear to their customers that they can’t accept tips of more than $500. “I don’t think it’s our responsibility as a server to say, ‘Oh, you can’t tip me that much, I’m sorry. Oh no, there’s a limit, I’m sorry. If that’s the case, there should be signs posted on the restaurants or the receipt to say there’s a limit of $500.”

In another twist to the story Bauer revealed that the man who gave her the tip had rang the restaurant to express his disappointment about the tip not being given to her as intended. However, when she asked for his details to at least express her thanks they told her that he hadn’t given them his details.

It doesn't end there. It has now since been revealed that the man’s credit card was declined. In a Facebook post from the restaurant, which has since been flooded with bad reviews and reportedly zero customers because of the story, they explained that Visa could not force the tip through and that the card was later declined by the bank.

Emily has since asked people to stop being abusive to the restaurant and that her boss has kindly granted her $2000 as a Christmas gift and that she appreciated all the help that she had received but unfortunately there isn’t much anyone could have done.

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