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Diner leaves two $1,000 tips in Colorado

Kelly Ragan
Greeley Tribune

On Wednesday, Kayley Jelinek celebrated her 23rd birthday during a shift bartending at the Lit’l Bit Bar & Grill in Evans, Colorado. At the end of the night, she and her co-workers celebrated the biggest tips of their lives.

A patron left her and server Heather Behring a $1,000 tip each.

Behring and Jelinek went to the back, did a happy dance and collapsed on the floor.

“We were in total shock,” Jelinek said.

The money means a lot to both of them, obviously, but it will go a long way to help Behring, 25, of Greeley, a single mom of her 21-month-old son, Jax. Jelinek is a senior English studies major at the University of Northern Colorado.

“I’m the one that’s supporting my kid all the way,” Behring said. “To get money like that just brings tears to your eyes because that’s a lot of money right there.” Behring served up a double Jack and Coke and a sandwich to the man sitting at the bar Tuesday. He was quiet and he was nice, Behring recalled. She hadn’t seen him before. He tipped her $100 that night. He came back a day later to leave the grand tips.

The man had come to the bar three or four times over the course of several months, Jelinek said.

Some of the bar’s regulars wished Jelinek a happy birthday Wednesday when the man decided to order a round of drinks for the whole bar. That’s when he left Jelinek the $1,000 tip. He ordered another round and left $1,000 for Behring, too.

Jelinek thought of all the things she could pay off. Then she wondered how many shots $1,000 would buy. It was fun to think about all the possibilities. Ultimately, Jelinek decided to use half the money to help pay off her truck. She plans to save the other half.

The man left town Thursday morning. Jelinek said she knows he travels a lot for work, but he stops by Lit’l Bit Bar & Grill when he’s in town.

“Hopefully we’ll see him again,” Jelinek said.

 


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