$1,000 Tip Ginger Man: Albany Eatery Sees $1,000 Tip, Money Shared By Waiter

A $1,000 tip left at Ginger Man restaurant in Albany, New York, has made news nationwide today. According to NewsOXY, a man celebrating his birthday decided to leave a generous tip to his waiter, Michael Shafts. The “typical” night of work was changed when Shafts looked at the receipt and noticed the huge tip, which came with simple instructions, “pay it forward.” Shafts showed other waitstaff the receipt — and then decided to share the money with his co-workers.

According to The Times Union:

“While Ginger Man servers have on occasion been given 100 percent tips, the gratuity Shafts received is by far the largest, both in dollars and as a percentage, ever left at the restaurant. Shafts, who had never served the couple before Wednesday, said he had difficulty concentrating on work for the remainder of the evening, but he finished his shift.”

The $1,000 tip given to the Ginger Man waiter was indeed very generous, but according to his co-workers, Shafts is a great, hard-working guy, and the money couldn’t have gone to a better person. Shafts said that he provided the customer with excellent service — something that he tries to do with each and every table he waits on.

Shafts explained:

“He brought a very good 47-year-old bottle of wine with him, and I handled it well, but I always try to give excellent service and to be a little different. I look young, so maybe people don’t expect it, but I always try to give the best service to all of my customers.”

After receiving the $1,000 tip, the Ginger Man employee didn’t call it a night, either. According to another restaurant worker, Shafts stayed on and continued to wait tables until his shift was over. The money that he received went through and was in his next paycheck. Shafts said it went to good use — he used the cash to fix his car.

Generous tips are often reported in the news because they just make people smile. Back in April, The Inquisitr reported that a woman bartending at a Holiday Inn received a $1,000 tip after having a conversation with customers about a veterinary bill she had to pay. The bartenders dog needed “emergency surgery” after swallowing a tennis ball, and the extra money really helped. In this instance, the woman paid it forward by buying breakfast for another couple staying at the hotel the next day.

[Photos courtesy of The Times Union]