ST. CHARLES, Ill. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- On the first day of Kane County’s new COVID-19 restrictions for bars and restaurants, one St. Charles eatery received a pleasant surprise: a generous tip and a personal note from a takeout order.
Puebla Modern Mexican restaurant, which can now only offer takeout under the new rules, received a $200 tip for a $38 bill.
Olivia Burns, the 18-year-old hostess at Puebla Modern Mexican, said the tip brought her and the staff to tears. The customer also wrote "Be well, we support you" on the receipt.
"This has never happened, at least for me, and I don’t think anyone else here," Burns said. "When we saw it we were just in shock and it brought us to tears."
Burns said they tried to catch the man who tipped them to express their gratitude but he had already driven away.
The money was split between Burns and two other employees who were working that night.
She said it's because of the generosity of patrons like him that the restaurant has managed to stay afloat during the pandemic. After the generous tip, she said employees were so excited and even customers took notice.
"Where our cars are parked for the takeout orders, they can see inside, and I'm sure our customers saw how excited we were," she said.
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Because of the state's rise in coronavirus cases, Pritzker on Tuesday announced stricter measures in an effort to keep the virus from spreading in Will, DuPage and Kane and Kankakee County. Indoor service at bars and restaurants are suspended, and indoor public gatherings will be limited to 25 people.
Despite the new rule, Puebla Modern Mexican saw patrons come out to support them with takeout orders Friday.
"Yesterday, we saw so many takeout orders which we were so grateful for," Burns said. "We are so happy that we are at least able to do takeout because that’s where all of our income is coming in and we’re able to stay afloat in this pandemic that we’re dealing with."