One Bolingbrook Eatery To Receive $2.5K In Tips On Tuesday

BOLINGBROOK, IL — With the food industry facing unprecedented challenges due to the coronavirus pandemic, the staff at one Bolingbrook restaurant will receive a special holiday surprise on Tuesday with tips totaling almost $2,500.

Since 2018, a group of friends, family and business leaders have gathered in the village to make the holidays just a bit more magical for someone in the service industry. The group, organized by Bolingbrook attorney Joe Giamanco of Giamanco Law Partners, normally gathers in person to have breakfast just before Christmas and at the end of the meal, in addition to paying for their food, each person leaves a $100 tip. Last year, around 25 people joined the event, with others who were unable to attend sending additional donations.

"A friend of mine is part of a group in Colorado who started doing something similar the year before. I thought it was such a simple but effective concept to spread a bit of Christmas cheer that it made sense to duplicate it locally," Giamanco said. "When I was in college I worked one summer as a waiter and I learned how hard people in the food service industry have to work. During that summer, one generous family left me a $100 tip, I’ll never forget how that felt when I was earning minimum wage."

He said he takes suggestions from participants every year on which restaurant to choose. Normally he also contacts the restaurant in advance to talk with the manager and ask to be assigned a server who could use a bit of extra help that year.

Most of the tips go to the server, but in past years, a portion has also gone to the other servers, cooks and staff. This year with COVID-19 and no seating available, the group will ask that the restaurant split the tips among all its workers.

This year’s event was initially not going to happen due to indoor dining being closed. Giamanco said he thought it would be impossible to ask for generous tips when people would be taking their food to go. However, when he talked to the group, most of them encouraged him to host it again.

"We’ve seen a number of restaurants close their doors thanks to COVID-19 and others are barely hanging on. When a restaurant closes it’s not just the owner who is out of business, it’s also the people who work there," he said. "While some restaurants have been able to adapt by cutting staff and changing how they do business, those who make most of their earnings off of tips have been largely left without a way to make ends meet. These tips may not save a person from bankruptcy, but they can make things a bit easier around the holidays."

Giamanco set a date, posted the event on Facebook and shared it with his friends. Within a few minutes, several people had committed to attend. By the end of the day, the number grew to 16 committed to attend and another 21 who had marked that they were interested in participating.

The restaurants who received this gift in the prior years have been very appreciative, not just because of the money, but also because of the two dozen additional customers they get. Giamanco said they've "seen tears, received hugs and of course many words of thanks." They've also heard stories about how the tips were going to allow a family to have a Christmas that otherwise wouldn’t have occurred.

"Another server told us that she planned to share her tips with others who she knew were in need and essentially to 'pay it forward,'" he said.

Details about the restaurant are kept confidential until the evening before. While Giamanco said he personally knows most of the participants, he welcomes others to join in the Christmas spirit and to contact him if they would like to participate. He also actively encourages others to "copy the idea and repeat."

"For those who have been blessed through this difficult time, we have an opportunity to help our fellow residents. You never know what challenges your neighbor is dealing with and the difference it can make in someone’s life by a simple act of giving," he said. "It may keep food on the table, the lights or heat on at home, or it might just put a simple smile on someone’s face. Whether you join us by leaving someone a $100 tip, or you just buy someone a cup of coffee, the gift you give will also provide you with a reward of true holiday spirit. And with so many having lost so much in 2020, who couldn’t use a bit more holiday spirit?"