13/08/2025
A Customer Left Me $100 Every Sunday — Then I Found Out Why and My World Stopped
I’ve been working at Denny’s for two years. Not glamorous, but it feels like home. The regulars—an elderly couple with strawberry pancakes, a group of soccer boys, a mom and her toddler, a laptop guy—make Sunday mornings something to look forward to.
But one man was different.
Every Sunday, he sat alone in the third booth from the back. Plaid shirt, quiet, sipping coffee. Sometimes pie, sometimes a sandwich. And every single week… he left me a $100 tip. No explanation. No fanfare. Just a nod, a kind smile, and the bill tucked under his cup.
The first time, I chased him.
“Sir! You left this—”
He smiled. “It’s for you.” And walked away.
I wasn’t rich—tiny apartment, two jobs, night classes. That tip made a real difference. But more than money, it made me feel… noticed.
“Why do you think he does it?” I asked my friend Rose.
“Maybe you remind him of someone. A daughter, perhaps?”
I laughed. “You think I have a secret millionaire dad?”
She shrugged. “Maybe. But he’s got a story.”
Then one Sunday, something changed. He looked tired, pale. His smile didn’t reach his eyes. He paused, looked at my nametag, and said softly, “No, thank you… Jess.” The first time he used my name.
Curious and worried, I snapped a quick photo as he walked to his car. That night, I posted it on Instagram with a simple “Thank you.”
Ten minutes later, my phone rang. It was my mom. Her voice was trembling.
“Jess… why did you post that picture?”
“What? Mom, what—?”
“That man… in the photo, Jess…”
Full story in the first c0mment 👇