- Donnie Wahlberg, of Blue Bloods and New Kids on the Block, left a $2,020 tip on a $35.27 bill.
- Marshland server Denise Andrews generously shared her tip with her co-restaurant workers.
- The “2020 tip challenge” is not new to Wahlberg, though — he has been giving generously to restaurant workers even without the challenge.
2020 has been a really trying year.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought on unprecedented financial stress all throughout the globe and small businesses and many independent restaurants have been feeling the pain.
Such is the case of Marshland in Massachusetts.
Marty Finch said, “Me, as the owner, we’ve struggled these last eight months. We’ve really tried to keep these doors open. We actually closed for a couple of months because it just wasn’t looking good. But we reopened, and it’s been a blessing that we did. We’re kind of like a home cooked-food-neighborhood-type restaurant, so it’s just been a really good feeling all around.”
Blue Bloods and New Kids on the Block star Donnie Wahlberg made a generous gesture of leaving a $2,020 tip on a $35.27 bill to Marshland server Denise Andrews from Plymouth, Mass., just to uplift their spirits.
The restaurant posted on Instagram: “A very special thank you to our friend @donniewahlberg! When asked about it all he said was ‘who’s up next?!'” Together with the note is a photo of Wahlberg’s receipt, which includes his handwritten tip, signature, and the #2020tipchallenge hashtag.
Marshland owner Finch says that “Donnie has been here before in the past and he always asks for [Denise]. He had his normal order: steak tips with some grilled asparagus and some poached eggs. She always knows what he wants.”
Andrews was surprised. As Finch says, “When he left he just said, ‘Denise, you’re all set. The payment is on the table. She always says he’s a very good tipper anyway but her jaw dropped, to say the least, when she saw that amount of tip.”
Spread ❤️ and ❤️ Will Spread!
— Donnie Wahlberg (@DonnieWahlberg) November 8, 2020
❤️????????????????????????????????????#SpreadLoveAndLoveWillSpread
Andrews was also generous with her co-workers as she shared the tip with them.
Finch says, “She tipped out her fellow waitstaff and the guys in the kitchen, and she actually donated too. She’s working on getting two families turkey meals during the holidays, so she’s generous herself. Donnie said to pass it on, to keep this positive stuff going, so she’s trying to do that as well.”
The “2020 Tip Challenge” is spreading from the time that it started in Michigan in January 2020. Jenny McCarthy and Harry Styles have already tipped their servers on different occasions and locations.
But even before the challenge, Wahlberg has been tipping restaurant employees generously and giving backstage passes and front row concert tickets.
. @DonnieWahlberg starting 2020 off like the amazing man he is. #ihop #2020tipchallenge
— Jenny McC-Wahlberg (@JennyMcCarthy) January 1, 2020
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Source: People