In the span of 24 hours, two diner waitresses in the Syracuse area were stunned while cashing out what appeared to be ordinary breakfasts.
Each time, a man and a woman ordered modest meals. Each time, the bill was paid. And each time, the couple left behind a sealed envelope with a simple message written on the outside: “Happy Holidays.”
Inside were 10 crisp $100 bills.
It appeared no one in the diners knew the couple. They left quietly, abruptly and were gone by the time servers realized what had happened.
The first stop was Tuesday morning at Dee’s Diner. The second came today — on Christmas Eve — at Mother’s Cupboard on James Street.
At 7:18 a.m. Tuesday, Joyce Chapman dropped off the check to a couple seated at Dee’s Diner on Route 11 in Mattydale Plaza. Chapman has worked at Dee’s for 20 years, and she said she’s never seen the two.
“They didn’t say anything special,” Chapman said. “I mean, they were pleasant enough. They had just a normal breakfast.”
The bill came to $28.62 for a breakfast special with bacon, coffee and an omelet.
When the couple left, Chapman opened the envelope, closed it quickly, then did a double-take before opening it again.
“I’m still in shock,” said Chapman. “I don’t even know who they are to say thank you. They just disappeared.”
Chapman immediately tried to give some of the money to owner Andrea Agostini, who refused.
“I told Andrea I had to do something,” Chapman said. “I wanted to pass it on.”
The owners of Big MaMa’s Cheesecake were sitting nearby. They had stopped in for breakfast after a rough start to the day. Their shop had been broken into around 2:30 a.m. A cash register was stolen and windows were shattered.
“I said, ‘I know today’s been rough. I’ll buy you guys breakfast,’” Chapman recalled. “I had to do something.”
They declined, telling her to keep it and enjoy Christmas.
Chapman said she plans to share it with another waitress who couldn’t be there Tuesday because the waitress was caring for her sick mother.
“I think it’s great that there’s still people out there that care,” she said. “Everyone’s just trying to survive. So I think paying it forward will be good.”
Longtime customer Dave Hannahan saw Chapman crying. He too declined her offer to buy his breakfast. “Do you know all the charity work this diner does? You should see the amount of school supplies they gather for neighborhood kids,” he said. “She deserves this more than you’d ever know.”
Patricia Yager got a nice tip at Mother’s Cupboard on Christmas Eve. A couple left her $1,000. (Charlie Miller | [email protected])(Charlie Miller | [email protected])
Less than 24 hours later, the same thing happened again.
This morning, at Mother’s Cupboard, Patricia Yager was the only server in the tiny diner, which was at capacity. Among the 32 customers were a couple who kept to themselves. The guy had a giant blueberry pancake and bacon, the woman ordered two eggs over easy, bacon and home fries.
At 7:35 a.m., they were gone. They handed Yager an envelope as they left. The waitress stuck it behind her order book and refilled every coffee mug in the place. It wasn’t until 25 minutes later that she finally went to the cash register and opened the envelope.
“I just saw a bunch of cash inside. I didn’t bother counting it because I had to keep up with everyone’s order,” she said. “I don’t know what to say. I honestly don’t.”
Yager, who has been serving at Mother’s for 11 years, is traveling to Tennessee next week to visit family. She plans on using the extra cash to buy presents for others.
“The customers here have always been great. I mean, that’s why I love this place,” she said. “But this is amazing. Wow. There are good people in this world.”
