A server was fired after receiving a large tip from customers at an Arkansas restaurant.
Ryan Brandt worked at Oven and Tap in Bentonville for three and a half years. She was serving a large dinner party alongside another server.
The group was led by business owner Grant Wise. He had organised a dinner where each person contributed $100 toward the tip. The group eventually raised $4,400 for the two servers to share.
Brandt believed she would take home $2,200 from the tip. She later said she felt shocked and grateful when Wise presented the money. A video of the moment showed Brandt becoming emotional.
“I was definitely like just in shock and overwhelmed with joy and gratitude in that moment as soon as I realized what he was saying,” Brandt said.
The celebration was short-lived after management became involved. Brandt said she was later told she could keep only 20% of the money. She said the rest would be shared with other restaurant staff.
Dispute began over tip sharing
Brandt said the restaurant did not normally use tip sharing in that way. She said the instruction came about 30 minutes after she received the money. The decision left her disappointed after the earlier surprise.
“To turn right back around and find out that I wasn’t keeping it, was kind of disheartening because we don’t tip share in any way,” she said.
Wise said he had contacted the restaurant before the dinner about its tipping policy. He said he asked whether the restaurant followed a tip-splitting system. According to Wise, he was told it did not.
After learning what happened, Wise asked the restaurant to return the tip. He then gave the money directly to Brandt after her shift. Brandt later said she was fired over the phone.
“They fired me from Oven and Tap over the phone and I’ve been there for 3.5 years and that was really heartbreaking,” Brandt said.
“Especially, because I didn’t think I did anything wrong.”
Restaurant denied firing over the money
Restaurant owners Mollie Mullis and Luke Wetzel later issued a statement about the dispute. They said the restaurant shared tips, which they described as a common industry practice. They also said the customer’s request had been honoured.
“We commend the organization that dined with us and generously gave to our staff. They have an absolute right to tip whoever they want, and we honored that request,” the owners said.
The owners said Brandt was not fired because she kept the tip money. They said other servers who received generous tips that evening remained employed. they also said the situation could have been handled differently.
“They said they regret that the incident could have been handled differently by reminding our team how we would be splitting any tips prior to the event.”
The restaurant said its policy had always included tip pooling or sharing. It said the system was used to compensate staff across the restaurant. Brandt disputed how the policy was applied in her case.
Fundraiser launched after firing
Wise later created a GoFundMe page to support Brandt after her firing. He said she was working two jobs during the pandemic. He also said he wanted to help her during the holiday season.
The fundraiser quickly brought in support after the story spread online. Wise said the original dinner group had wanted to show appreciation for service workers. The dispute then turned the tip into a much larger controversy.
Brandt said the firing had left her worried about bills and student loans. She said some loan payments had been paused during the pandemic. She expected those payments to restart in January.
The case drew attention because the tip was meant as a direct act of generosity. It also raised debate about restaurant tip-sharing policies. Many people questioned whether customers should control who receives a large gratuity.
