I’m a diner worker who received a whopping tip — just in time for Christmas

What better way to close out 2022 than with a $2,200 tip?

Tayler Sullivan was working her regular shift at Delano’s Diner in Wichita, Kansas, last week when she waited on an extremely giving 22-person table.

She told local TV station KAKE that she typically never sees a party that large — but it turns out they all had a reason to celebrate.

“It was time for them to pay, and I asked how they were going to do their checks, and they said they will be all together,” Sullivan recalled.

“Then I bring the check over, and all the family and friends started whipping out their phones, and they got out a large amount of money, like, ‘Alright, each year during the Christmas holiday we all bring out $100, and so we are gonna let you keep all the money.’”


Kansas diner server gets $2,200 tip just in time for Christmas
Sullivan has been working at the diner for four years, never receiving a tip as big as this.
KAKE

They reportedly told her: “It’s 22 of us, and we all brought $100, so that’s $2,200 for you to take home. … And we hope you enjoy your Christmas, and that everything goes well for you.”

Sullivan said she was in “disbelief” over the biggest tip in her four years at the diner, which serves a green chile breakfast burrito and “almost famous” fried pickles, along with burgers, sandwiches, omelettes and waffles.

“Working in customer service, you never expect that amount of money coming in at a table. Ever,” she told KAKE.

Admitting the funds “helped a lot,” Sullivan said she plans to save the money to buy a car or to move. She said she also shared the wealth with her co-workers.


Delano's Diner in Wichita, Kansas.
She said she used some of the money to tip her Delano’s Diner co-workers.
Google Maps

“I work with them every day, and they’re like my family,” she explained. “I want them to have a good Christmas as well, even if it was only just a little bit.”

Sullivan proclaimed she’s grateful for every tip, especially during the holiday season.

“Because you never know what you might get — and what goes around comes around,” she smiled.