Clearwater police say $5K cafe tip was relationship revenge, not gratitude

That $5,000 tip so widely reported last week had a different motivation than everyone thought. When a server at the Clear Sky Cafe in Clearwater received a $5,000 tip on June 27, she thought it was because the customer felt bad about hearing that her service dog had recently passed away. It turns out that the customer was just really mad at her boyfriend.

According to an arrest affidavit first obtained by WTSP, 24-year-old Serina Wolfe left the $5,000 tip on a $55.37 purchase at Clear Sky Cafe in Clearwater Beach on June 27, hours after an argument with her boyfriend. She wanted him to pay for her flight to Buffalo, New York.

Police say the boyfriend refused to buy her the plane ticket, prompting Wolfe to leave the massive tip on his credit card in retaliation.

Wolfe initially denied leaving the $5,000 tip and reported the charge as fraudulent. The following Monday, June 1, Clear Sky Cafe was notified about the “fraudulent” charge, but the owners had already paid out the server, reports the station.

Authorities say Wolfe eventually admitted to leaving the generous tip, and also suggested that she may have been drunk and trying to get back at her boyfriend.

Wolfe has been charged with grand theft.

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This article appears in Jun 26 – Jul 2, 2019.