West Michigan server who was tipped $10K fired from job, co-owner says decision 'not affiliated' with tip

West Michigan server who was tipped $10K fired from job, co-owner says decision 'not affiliated' with tip Cassandra Llamas-Fossen February 15, 202412:12 pm Drama over a tip reportedly lead to the firing of a West Michigan server Photo credit Mason Jar Cafenone BENTON HARBOR (WWJ) - A West Michigan server who was given a life-changing $10,000 tip last week has been fired from her job in what management said was "purely a business decision."

Mason Jar Café co-owner Jayme Cousins said in an email to News 8 that while labor laws prohibit management from giving a full explanation on the former employee's firing, she did say, “it was not affiliated with the tip she received.”

On Monday, Feb. 5th, a man came into the café, located at 210 Water Street in Benton Harbor, for breakfast and left a massive tip on a $32.43 bill.

In a now-deleted and viral post from the restaurant, the server who received the tip then "spread the love" and split it with nine other employees.

Now -- ten days later -- that server is out of job.

“I know there is a lot going around that we let her go because of the tip and that’s just not logical,” Cousins wrote. “(W)e have a staff that has continued to work for us for years and college kids that come back every summer and we give chances after chances to our staff, so we clearly would not let someone go for no reason at all.”

Cousins went on to say that the decision to let the server go was not made lightly and that terminating staff is “something we always try to avoid at all costs,” and that “in this case it was purely a business decision.”

But the server-in-question disputed those claims on her social media page -- which also was deleted -- stating in a post that "drama, animosity and hurt" over the massive tip caused her termination.

The former employee started off by thanking those who reached out to her about the "generous gift," saying the experience humbled her, but also brought about negative attention -- and ultimately cost her her job.

Her posts, which have been preserved and shared by users on Facebook, say that she was asked to stay home on Sunday after the story went viral. Later that evening, she claimed management texted her to take Monday off as well so things can "settle down."

The former server then claims she tried to ask management if she was being asked not to the come back to work, but allegedly received no answer until she got a phone call stating that she had been fired.

"One week I'm such an amazing, hardworking employee, awesome mother... 'couldn't have happened to a better person.' Now I'm without a job for the first time since I was 15-years-old," she wrote.

The server -- who has not returned requests from news outlets for comment and will remain unidentified -- went on to write that while she was willing to split the $10,000 tip, the act of kindness brought out an ugly side.

"I may have gotten a $1,600 boost last week, but now I have no job or way to provide for myself or my kids," she wrote. "...what I have learned the hard way? Not everyone has a good heart like you do, in fact, I don't think some have one at all. And when people show you who they truly are? Believe them."

A commenter on the original post appeared to explain that staff members not working the day the tip was left expected to get a cut and the ensuing struggle ended up creating an "extremely dramatic work environment."

Users took to the Mason Jar Cafe's Facebook and flooded the comments section on their most recent post with largely negative responses about the incident.

"I will never be going back. Shame on you for how you handled this situation," one user wrote.

Another poster said: "Way to be awful humans when you had such a great place & great opportunity to be leaders in an amazing community. Do better. Kindness matters."

"Enjoy the food and wait for them to fire your server for you giving to big of a tip," another person posted.

As reported by WOOD-TV, the customer left the tip in honor of his friend who had passed away. He was in town for the funeral when he stopped at the Mason Jar Café.

Featured Image Photo Credit: Mason Jar Cafe

I'm not in the EU, I'm in Switzerland, and the site is still not accessible. Morons don't know geography.

That’s ok, I read it for you. I’m not in the EU.

Not at all what happened. The employee split the tip with 9 other employees. There's no full explanation as to what caused the firing, but it seems like there was some internal drama after the tip.

As reported by WOOD-TV, the customer left the tip in honor of his friend who had passed away. He was in town for the funeral when he stopped at the Mason Jar Café.