Diner leaves $10,000 tip at North Naples restaurant

An extraordinary act of kindness has a North Naples restaurant feeling the love from its community.

An anonymous diner left behind a $10,000 tip at Skillets in North Naples.

“He said I want each person in this restaurant to get $500. The manager distributed it to all the employees,” said Ross Edlund, the restaurant’s owner.

The tip was left behind by a regular of the business.

“People come in and they become family. We know where they’re from, we know how many kids they have, and we know what’s going on in their lives. They become part of our team, a part of our restaurant,” Edlund said.

“There was genuine concern from our guests for our staff, which is very heartwarming to me.”

Little did they know that the next day, the governor would force dining rooms statewide to close.

“We want everyone to stay healthy and well. We believe what’s being done is the correct thing in spite of the fact that it’s causing us hardship,” Edlund said.

The restaurant’s owner looks on the bright side – acts of kindness are spreading in the community.

“It’s not the greatest situation but if we don’t put a positive spin on it, we’re just going to make things worse,” he said. “It makes me feel like we’re doing more than serving eggs and pancakes, that we’re offering a respite from the world.”

Edlund said he knows who left behind the money, but the person wanted to remain anonymous.

“Thank you very, very much. You are a decent person and you’ve touched our staff deeply. Thank you,” he said.

Skillets is open for pick-up orders and curbside carry-out.