Mystery couple in Pennsylvania surprises diners by picking up their tabs

Diners that walk into the Applebee's in Washington, Pennsylvania, never know if they're going to have to pay for their meal or if an anonymous couple will grab the check.

The mystery husband and wife eat in the bar several times a week, and a few times a month, they pick up the tab of an unsuspecting family or party. Jodie Welling was celebrating her daughter's birthday with a group of 14 other people, and when she asked for the check, she was told by server Samantha Powell it had already been paid. "I was almost in tears," Powell told CBS Pittsburgh. "It touches me, too. They were just so surprised. They were like, 'Oh my God, who? Who?' They were looking around and wanted to know who it was, but I would not tell them. He approached me to tell me to give him the check for that table."

Assistant manager Bernie Lewis said the couple has asked to remain anonymous, but did spill that they own a local business and have been paying for other diners for several years. "He always says, 'I grew up poor and now I'm not,' and that's all he says," Powell said.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up