Even the German government is divided about the requirement as many receipts are printed on thermal paper that cannot be recycled
Even the German government is divided about the requirement as many receipts are printed on thermal paper that cannot be recycled

A customer left an extraordinary tip at Stumble Inn & Grill in Londonderry, New Hampshire, for his not so extraordinary meal.

The customer ordered two hot dogs, a Coke, pickle chips, seasonal slaw, and a shot of Patron tequila, which came to a total of $37, a normal total for the bar and grill. A typical tip for such a check would be $7 or $8.

The customer left a tip of $16,000.

It wasn't a typo or an error, as evident by the customer jokingly adding, "Don't spend it all in one place," owner Mike Zarella told CNN.

According to Zarella, the bartender did not see such a lucrative tip coming.

"When she looked down, she was just absolutely shocked," Zarella said. "She was like, 'Oh, my God, no that's just crazy.'"

"The girls went over to him and thanked him. They are overjoyed."

The customer, who asked to remain anonymous, left the tip on June 12. Zarella held back from publicly telling the story for several days. He wanted to ensure the tip was real and that the money would go through.

Once it was confirmed that the money was real, he shared the story on Facebook, along with the seven of the eight bartenders working during that shift, who decided to share the tip and decided to share with the four kitchen staff members.

The owner did not keep any of the large tip.

Some criticize the decision to share the tip but Zarella's responded that it was the restaurant's policy.

"We've been getting killed on social media lately, but pool tipping is common in certain restaurants and it works for us, it doesn't matter how big the tip is; they still share it with everyone working that shift.

"In the end, this is just a happy story and we are grateful for his generosity."

The high-tipping customer later became a regular at the bar. Zarella later asked what caused his kindness that day. "If he had made a mistake and asked for it back, we would have given it back," Zarella said.

"I went over and sat with him, and I thanked him and told him, 'Are you sure? Because we're uncomfortable with this amount of money,'" Zarella said.

"No, I want them to have that money," the customer said.

Tipping at restaurants is customary in the United States. A 20% tip is considered the industry standard.