Normally, CeCe Bruce would stroll from table to table in uniform-standard black tennis shoes while serving at her full-time job with Steak ‘n Shake.
On Wednesday, the two-year veteran server said she walked instead on sunshine after receiving a gift of generosity from a customer.
“All the worries that I have are kind of like out the door for the day, you know? It makes you look at life a little more positively,” Bruce said.
That morning, Bruce waited on a customer who makes a habit out of Wednesday breakfasts at the 54th Street and Keystone Avenue location on the north side of Indianapolis.
The customer watched as Bruce said she served another table of diners at the same time.
“You can't let stuff get you down here because it will ruin your entire day and then there's no point. You want to be happy and personable with your customers,” she said.
Instead of leaving a 20 percent tip with her bill, that on-looking customer gave Bruce a nearly $500 tip on her $5.97 check.
While some Steak ‘n Shake patrons “takhomasak,” Bruce took home significant help for her finances.
“She stays late, comes in early. Whenever we need her, she's here. So she deserves it more than anyone,” the restaurant’s general manager Greer Gooley said. “It just lets servers know that you work hard and it does pay off. There are people out there that [if] you do your job people reward you for it.”
Bruce is a full-time server for Steak ‘n Shake as well as a student. She planned to use the generous tip to pay bills and didn’t plan to treat herself to anything out of the ordinary.