Ava Guan, who works at HoShun Restaurant on St. Charles Avenue, told Fox 8 Live that she donated the tip money to her church, Olive Church in Metairie, to cover the cost fixing the church’s air conditioning system.
Guan said, “This is not my money. The gentleman [who gave the tip] is the angel for me.”
According to The Christian Post, Guan had visited her church just before starting her night shift on June 4. While at the church, she prayed that God would send help to repair the church building and its A.C. system. Despite donating $300 out of her own pocket, it still wasn’t enough to cover the cost of repairs.
That’s when the tipper, later identified as 31-year-old businessman Abdul Hamideh, came into play. Hamideh left Guan a $777 tip on a $63 bill as well as a message encouraging her to “take the night off.”
“He gave me the big tips. I don’t know why. It’s so crazy. A surprise for me,” Guan said, adding that it was a blessing from God.
Hamideh, an IHOP and Popeyes franchise owner, told NOLA.com that he chose to leave $777 as the tip because he considered the amount lucky. Earlier the day, he opened a new IHOP location in Thibodaux and said he was thankful for the new restaurant.
“I had something good happen to me in this world,” he said. “I wanted to pay it forward.”