Here's a tip, if something ever goes missing — post it on Facebook.
Over the weekend, a customer at Claudine's Eatery in Fredericton left a $70 tip after a $55 meal of liver and onions for three.
"Seventy dollars is definitely a lot of money in someone's pocket," said Leonie Gillingham, co-owner of Claudine's Eatery in Fredericton.
On Monday morning, Claudine Cyr, Gillingham's mother and one of the owners of the Main Street restaurant, noticed the cash was over by $70.
Although servers do get some big tips, she sensed something was off.
'It's pretty remarkable the outpouring of support from local Fredericton people.' -Leonie Gillingham
"It was kind of a red flag that there was an issue with one of the bills," said Gillingham, who opened the restaurant about three years ago with her mother.
Cyr decided to rummage through all the bills from Sunday in search of the error.
A generous offer
She found it. And from there, Gillingham took a photo of the receipt, showing a customer had added a $70 tip to a bill, and posted it to Facebook.
"I just posted it online in hopes that a regular customer would potentially recognize what the order was," she said.
Leonie Gillingham, co-owner of Claudine's Eatery on Fredericton's north side, posted a receipt on Facebook after the customer left a $70 tip to a $55 meal. (Claudine's Eatery)
Her wish came true.
The receipt was shared over 1,200 times on social media. The local owners even had people from Toronto, Calgary and the United States commenting and trying to track down the owner of the unclaimed $70.
"It's pretty remarkable the outpouring of support from local Fredericton people," she said. "Bad news travels pretty quick and it's kind of humbling to see good news go so far."
The bill belonged to Dianne Doucette, who was dining out with her husband and 101-year-old mother after celebrating the Marysville Baptist Church's 160th anniversary on Sunday.
On Monday afternoon, Doucette was just settling down to watch the Young and the Restless when she noticed a post on her news feed from her husband's cousin, who lives in Miramichi.
"I said, "Oh my land, look at this $70," she said.
Dianne Doucette and her husband, Dale, received their $70 on Monday after seeing a post of the receipt on her news feed. (Dianne Doucette)
And then came the phone calls from friends and family.
"We had friends say, 'Boy you guys were sure great tippers,'" Doucette laughed.
Doucette was overjoyed to be reunited with her $70 and as a thank you, she tipped the restaurant $10.
"I think they're very honest and that was an amazing thing for them to do," said Doucette, who's a regular at Claudine's.
Not an uncommon error
Gillingham said she's come across mistakes in the till at other times, when customers overpaid or forgot to pay.
"If we notice our cash is over or under by $20, that's a red flag for us," she said.
But mother and daughter are just grateful for customers' support both online and inside the restaurant.
"It happens, human error," she said.
And it's safe to say Doucette and her family will be back for some liver and onions soon enough.
"They make the best liver and onions," said Doucette.
"Once in a while we get a craving for it."
