NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)— A New Orleans waitress at Hoshun Restaurant is feeling extremely grateful right now after receiving an unexpected huge tip!

Times are tough for many folks right now who are trying to make ends meet especially with inflation. Groceries, gas, electric, everything is going up, but for one local waitress, she got the surprise of a lifetime with a lucky $777 tip on a $63 meal.

This waitress understands the true meaning of generosity.

Hoshun waitress Ava Guan feels very lucky!

“I can’t believe this good tip is for me,” she said.

Over the weekend Ava received a $777 tip on a $63 meal.

“Really is this tip for me, is something wrong,” she thought?

She thought it was a mistake, but it wasn’t. The generous customers wrote on the receipt, “Take The Night Off.”

“Yes I need the money. Everybody needs the money,” she said.

Even though hard-working Ava struggles with bills she knew what she wanted to do.

“I was so happy so I want everyone to be happy too,” she said.

In a surprising twist she donated the tip to her church—Olive Church which recently needed money to repair its air conditioning.

Earlier she had donated $300 to her church to help, but when she got the tip she donated $700 more.

She said the night before she got the big tip that she had prayed for help.

Hoshun’s owner Alice Ho says Ava always thinks of others.

“She is always happy to provide her best service,” Ho said.

Ava now feels relieved that her service lead to a cool tip to help keep her church cool.

“The guy is very nice. Good tip. Thank you very much,” Guan said.

The customer who gave the big tip understands how hard folks in the food service industry work. He told Hoshun’s staff that he is a franchisee for IHOP and Popeyes.

For more information on Hoshun, click HERE.