Posting this on mobile, so please excuse the formatting and length.

I work in fine dining in a not-so-fine area, so I'm used to seeing tip percentages as low as 0%(more often than should be received considering the experience our clientele get), to 30%. On Sunday I went in at 1pm and worked straight through as the closer despite there being 3 other server start times after me.

I was steady all day well into the evening. It was looking like one of those nights where I bust my hump only to barely scrape by with less than $250. I ended up getting a few great tipping regulars in my last round.

Then my manager asks me if I can handle a 7 alonsode my 3 deuces, 8, top, and 5 top. I told her I can only get to them after I serve my 8, and I thought she would give them to someone else. She didn't, instead setting them up in the section of the server next to mine that just got cut 15 mins ago. They are sat within 10 minutes.

By this time I'm already caught up and have closed out all my other tables, and jist had this 7 top and a deuce that would be sat within 5 minutes of getting the 7. I greet them and begin to take drink orders when the head of the party hands me a $20 along with "My brotha!".

I thought, "Okay, cool!" and went along to get them another round as some of them had drinks from the bar. I return and he hands me yet another $20 and says the same thing. They then ask mey reccomendations on the menu as they have never been, but are huge steak lovers from Chicago, and don't like small steaks. Easy. After telling them about our tomahawk, prime rib, and bone in ribeyes, I also recommend seabass for the ladies who wanted to try our fish. As I'm leaving, the man hands me another $20 and another , "My brotha!".

They ordered 5 appetizers, 2 of which were my strong recommendation and I had my manager deliver them as I was attending to the young couple on their first anniversary 2 tables down from the 7. These were my two only tables at this point. When we see eachother in the service area, she tells me he gave her $20. I told her about my $60 so far. To cut the story short since it's already a mouthful, the man continued to hand my manager and myself $20 upon visits to deliver refills, drinks, the food, and check-backs until I had already accumulated $100 and she $60.

Here's the cool part; he came up to the front to ask if he can pay the young couple's bill because he felt that his table was being loud and obnoxious. They were, but it was all in good fun. He paid their $71 tab and tipped $22 on top of it. They were informed by my manager and thanked the man profusely, and asked me at the bar if they could buy him a drink. I delivered the drink along with a note they wrote and the man became extra happy.

Come time to close out, the 7 had racked up a bill of $542. I didn't expect there to be a tip as the man had already given $160 cash to my manager and I(Maybe he thought she was my assistant lol). As they walk out, he approaches me in the threshold for the dining room and the service area shakes crushes my hand and gives me a big bear hug thanking me for giving him the best experience he's had in a long time. I felt the crispy crumpleness of yet another bill in my hand; another $20! Go to bus the table to lend a hand to my lone closing busser, check the book, and saw that he also left $100 on his credit card.

It was an incredible experience. Now, do the math. $542 bill $71 bill $122 in cc tips $180 cash tips. This man spent $915 in our dining room. I don't even know how much he spent with my bartender. I made $560 before tipout that night.

TL;DR: Man brings in party of 7, gives money out like candy, makes my night unforgettable.