A couple sat at the bar of an Applebee’s in Washington, Pennsylvania, where they frequently dine three to four times a week and often cover the bills for random patrons.
One such recipient of their generosity was Jolie Welling, who happened to be hosting her daughter’s birthday celebration at the restaurant.
Later, Welling expressed her gratitude on Facebook, writing: “A big thank you to the kind soul who took care of our bill tonight at Applebee’s in Washington! This person generously paid for our entire party of 16. It was a first for us, and it brought tears to everyone’s eyes.”
The server that evening, Samantha Powell, shared her emotional reaction, saying: “I was on the verge of tears myself. It truly touched me.”
“They were utterly surprised. Their reactions were like, ‘Oh my goodness. Who could it be?’ They were scanning the room, trying to figure it out, but I didn’t divulge,” Powell added. “He signaled to me to hand over the bill for that table.”
Darla Pepper-Miller had a similar experience about six months earlier. As the music director at the Church of the Covenant in Washington, she was celebrating a choir member’s birthday at the same Applebee’s. To their astonishment, their bill was already settled when they asked for it.
“It was just overwhelming gratitude, especially given the state of the world with so much unrest, protests, and animosity,” Pepper-Miller remarked. “It’s reassuring to witness acts of kindness and generosity. It motivates me to pay it forward.” Pepper-Miller mentioned that she has since started paying it forward herself. The couple, who own a local business, have been covering meal tabs for others for years, typically two or three times per month.
Bernie Lewis, the Assistant Manager at Applebee’s, affirmed that she was bound by secrecy regarding the benefactors’ identities. “He always simply says, ‘I came from humble beginnings, but now I’m in a position to give back,’ and that’s all,” Powell recalled.
