Alfredo’s Pizza Cafe, a Pennsylvania eatery featured in the hit sitcom «The Office,» is suing a client who left a $3,000 tip for their waiter but later challenged the amount. Mariana Lambert, the lucky recipient of the hefty gratuity, thought she’d won the jackpot until she realized that the customer, identified as Eric Smith, had decided not to pay the tip.
Smith claimed the tip was part of a social media campaign dubbed «Tips for Jesus,» in which he enjoys surprising servers with grand gestures. However, after leaving the tip, he contested the charge with his credit card provider, leaving the restaurant liable for the money they had already paid to Mariana.
Despite repeated private attempts to fix the problem, the restaurant was forced to pursue charges against Smith. Zachary Jacobson, the restaurant’s manager, expressed dissatisfaction with the incident, which he described as producing «a lot of nonsense and drama.»
Nonetheless, he defended Mariana’s efforts and viewed the episode as a good piece of publicity for a tiny firm. Jacobson hopes Smith will «own up to his actions» and pay the tip he promised Mariana, who was moved by the gesture during a difficult time for the restaurant sector in the aftermath of the pandemic.
Watch the movies below and share your thoughts on this «big tipper» in the comments.
And here’s a video about the customer’s change of heart.