CARMEL, Ind. — A random act of kindness by an Indiana waiter is warming hearts this holiday season.
Ernest Weni was waiting tables at Chuy's on Michigan Road Saturday when a customer observed as he paid the check for a woman who was eating alone at one of his tables.
"At the end of her meal, he laid down her check and then he immediately picked it up and said, 'This one's on me today,'" LeeAnn Herrera recalled in a Facebook post. "She was so surprised she teared up and said thank you 10 times."
Herrera snapped a picture of the interaction between Weni and the customer and shared it on a Facebook group for Zionsville moms, where she said the response was "overwhelming."
Herrera pointed out Chuy's, like many restaurants, is operating at half capacity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which means fewer opportunities to earn tips. She then shared Weni's Venmo account if anyone "wants to send him a Christmas tip."
Apparently, Herrera wasn't alone in sending a virtual tip Weni's way. He posted on his own Facebook page that people had "blessed me financially" in addition to sharing Herrera's photo and extending a kind word to him.
"I wasn’t expecting anything out of this small encounter but that just shows you that someone is always watching and you should always be kind. Thanks once again for the generosity and Merry Christmas! GOD BLESS YOU!" he wrote.
Herrera told 13News she's spoken with Weni through Facebook and said "he's a great guy."
