Plymouth servers surprised with $4,600 tip at Tavern on the Wharf
The $4,600 surprise tip was shared between two server’s at Plymouth’s Tavern on the Wharf..
Two servers at Plymouth’s Tavern on the Wharf really cleaned up Saturday.
Kimmy Taylor and Megan Oliveira, both single mothers, served breakfast to a party of 22 that morning. When the group left after paying its bill, the two women found themselves a few thousand dollars richer.
The nearly two dozen people responsible for the $4,600 tip they left behind are part of the Wicked Smaht Zone Facebook group.
Mendon resident Josh Vernon began the group two years ago during COVID for New England Peloton enthusiasts who organized challenge groups to keep each other motivated and fit.
It has become much more than that since, both in the fitness activities covered and the philanthropic goals of its members.
“I’ve created some other Facebook groups with a New England focus, and they’ve always included a philanthropic purpose,” he said.
His professional marketing and sales history lends itself to fundraising, he said. Whether through Facebook groups or serving as a brand ambassador for the Do Wicked Good line of clothing, he’s been involved in helping others throughout the region.
“Because of what we can do, more people are going to smile, and I hope more people will see it and do something – even if it’s just buying a cup of coffee for a stranger.”
This is the second year his group has surprised a restaurant employee with their generosity. The first time was at Lowell’s restaurant in Mendon. That server ended their shift with a $3,600 tip.
“My phone started blowing up, as you can imagine,” after the Mendon story spread, he said.
He conducted a group poll to see first which part of the state they should cover. Once the South Shore rose to the top, another poll led them to Plymouth and Tavern on the Wharf.
Then, as now, Vernon said he and other members do not want to be the center of the story. The obvious benefit of exposure, he said, is its potential to inspire other people and organizations with bigger platforms to keep the giving going.
Secrecy was the name of the game for their visit to Plymouth.
Maddie Whittles, director of events for the restaurant, said the group contacted her a few weeks ago to see if the restaurant could accommodate them and if she knew of any employees who could most benefit from their idea.
The party of two dozen didn’t seem out of place, as the restaurant often hosts large groups, she said.
“We were able to keep it a big secret,” she said.
The group had raised another $3,600 this time around, and the members who had breakfast contributed another $1,000 or so on the spot.
Vernon and his group weren’t lingering around and waiting for praise, which is just how he likes it.
“We like to leave cash and bounce,” he said.
And that’s just what happened over the weekend.
“We handed one of the two servers our billfold and we walked out,” he said. “Their reactions were apparently great.”
The group is turning its attention to the upcoming Pan Mass Challenge in April, and Vernon, himself, is training for an Ironman Triathlon
As far as future surprise tips, Vernon said while it may turn into an annual event, he doesn’t want to lose the element of surprise.
“I’d like it to subside and let people forget about it,” he said. “It’d like it to keep it a fresh surprise that no one is expecting.”
