Waffle House waitress working double shift while looking after her baby received $1K tip

Waffle House in Georgia with 'open' sign
AP Photo/Russ Bynum

Need multiple jobs done at one time? Just ask a mom. These master multitaskers just keep getting things done. A mother’s ability to juggle so much often does not get the recognition it deserves, but one busy mom who works at a Waffle House restaurant in North Carolina caught the eye of a customer who appreciated her efforts and decided to reward the server with a $1,000 tip.

Shirell “Honey” Lackey was not only in the middle of a double shift at the Greensboro Waffle House, but she also had her baby daughter, Bella, with her. So, as she served her hungry customers, Lackey kept a close eye on her little girl.

As Lackey kept everyone’s plates full and kept Bella occupied, she unknowingly served a country music star’s entourage. Impressed with how their waitress balanced her double duty, one of the customers gave her a $50 tip, Lackey told 8NewsNow.

AP Photos

But that nice tip turned out to just be the start of something bigger. In a Facebook post on July 25, Lackey shared what happened next.

Apparently, the musician’s bus driver overheard the waitress talking about having to bring her daughter to work that day for a 15-hour shift. After hearing the story, the county singer decided to come into the Waffle House to place a special to-go order.

“So he came to me and said that in a society where nobody wants to work he had to respect the hustle of someone who is willing to do whatever it took no matter what to support their child and I started crying,” Lackey posted.

The country star, whom Lackey decided to keep anonymous to protect his privacy, also gave the waitress two tickets to a concert and asked for her address to send some baby clothes and other necessities.

Lackey told 8NewsNow she not only greatly appreciated the money, but the artist’s kind words, encouragement and appreciation for her efforts.

“It feels good to be recognized,” Lackey said. “I mean, I don’t do it to be recognized, I do it because Bella is everything, but it’s nice to be recognized for doing the things we do as mothers.”

Family & Parenting, Good News, News, Parenting

About the Author
Marie Rossiter
Marie is a freelance writer and content creator with more than 20 years of experience in journalism. She lives in southwest Ohio with her husband and is almost a full-fledged empty nest mom of two daughters. She loves music, reading, word games, and Walt Disney World.

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