An Unexpected Tip | Palatka Daily News, Palatka, Florida

Restaurant workers cash in on patron’s generosity

Co-owner Bobby Glaize stands next to a River Pub-styled truck in front of his Georgetown restaurant, Bobby G’s River Pub.
Owners Monique and Bobby Glaize sit on a motorcycle in front of their restaurant, Bobby G’s River Pub.
Positively Putnam FL

GEORGETOWN – One frequent customer of a South Putnam restaurant surprised employees with an enormous tip earlier this month as a thank you for their great service.

Monique Glaize, co-owner of Bobby G’s River Pub, said the man did not wish to be named but asked for the $1,000 tip to be split among the 12 employees working the night of Aug. 14, the night he was served.

“I actually didn’t even know what to do until after (the customer) left because I was kind of in shock,” said Stephanie Best-Pond, who was serving the man.

She said all the employees were grateful. One person was able to use the money to finally fix his mode of transportation to work, and another employee used the tip to buy groceries. Especially during these trying times, Best-Pond said, it meant a lot.

“It was a team effort with the great food and the great atmosphere. It wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for everybody contributing to this, not just me,” she said.

Glaize, who co-owns the pub with her husband, Bobby, said the tip “validated what we have going on here.”

“We are from a different industry. We are from a big town. Owning this restaurant is very new and very different for us,” said Glaize, who came from a retail background in South Florida.

The couple purchased the restaurant a little more than two years ago from the previous owner, who became friends with the Glaizes when they started visiting the area six years ago.

River Pub,1148 County Road 309, serves everything from barbecue to Italian cuisine to homemade desserts six days a week. The restaurant is temporarily closed on Tuesdays to give employees a rest day, Glaize said.

When the pandemic hit Putnam County, the co-owner said they did not stop working, but they changed service tactics. They started doing takeout and delivery because people could not sit indoors for a part of last year.

The river pub is back open with a full-service tiki bar, but they have not stopped takeout and delivery services. And customers seem to be enjoying the River Pub. Glaize said Tuesday they had three new five-star reviews in 24 hours.

“Our motto is, ‘We’ve got your back,’ and it really does relate to customers and our (employees),” Glaize said. “… We’ve got your back.”