Customer leaves $16K tip at New Hampshire bar and grill: 'It's unbelievable'

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An anonymous diner in New Hampshire showed their appreciation to bar staff with a $16,000 tip.

The generous tipper showed up at the Stumble Inn Bar and Grill in Londonderry on Saturday, June 12, according to the bar’s owner Michael Zarella.

While the five-figure tip took some time for the money to be dispersed, Zarella tells Fox News he warned his staff to not get too excited in case the large sum wasn’t released by the bank.

"It’s unbelievable. I just never in my life thought somebody would come in here and do that," Zarella said in a phone interview. "I didn’t even think it was going to be true until it cleared the bank, which was last Friday. I was like, ‘No Way.’ I told my staff don’t get too excited because this doesn't happen."

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Zarella shared the surprising news publicly in a Facebook post on Monday. All the anonymous diner had asked for were two hotdogs with chili and cheese, pickle chips and three drinks, which amounted to $37.93.

The diner seems to be a local and has visited the Stumble Inn Bar and Grill a few times, according to Zarella. 

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On the day when the diner extended the $16,000 tip, Zarella tells Fox News it fell in line with the start of Laconia Motorcycle Week. Although he’s sure the tipper wasn’t involved with the biker celebration, Zarella noted that his staff was kept busy that Saturday afternoon. 

Eight bartenders were on duty that day and served several customers inside and outdoors.

Since there were no instructions provided by the diner, the tip was split between the kitchen and bar staff. Zarella says has around 30 employees who work the kitchens and bars.

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Throughout the pandemic, the Stumble Inn Bar and Grill was closed for two months but was still able to fulfill takeout orders.

When outdoor and eventually indoor dining was finally allowed to resume in spring 2020, business began to boom for the New Hampshire bar.

"We opened early. We were lucky," Zarella said. "For the two months that we had to stuggle, we recoupled that by the end of the year, last year."

The Stumble Inn Bar & Grill at 20 Rockingham Road serves drinks and comfort food in Londonderry, N.H.  (Google Maps)

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The generous tipper who recently visited Stumble Inn further added to the 12-year-old bar’s lucky streak.

"Everybody thought it might be a celebrity that was here, but it wasn’t. It was just an ‘average Joe,’" Zarella explained. "He gave the money and doesn’t want any PR out of it… He doesn’t want anything. I even tried to comp his meal last Saturday night and he said, ‘No.’"