Guest leaves $5,000 tip for five employees at Great Wolf Lodge in Colorado Springs

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- A family visiting Colorado Springs' Great Wolf Lodge for the first time was in a very generous mood this weekend after leaving a $5,000 tip on a $55 tab.

Yeah, that's an over-9,000% tip, and it was split between five employees at the resort's Loose Moose Family Kitchen restaurant.

According to a representative for the company, the family stopped in the restaurant for breakfast Sunday morning and requested that the tip be divided among the five employees: three servers, one host and one busser.

Monique West is the food and beverage director for the lodge. She got to deliver the good news to staff.

"Literally life changing for some of the staff that is working this breakfast shift," said West.

Still in disbelief over the generosity, West said no amount of tip is taken for granted during the pandemic.

"Some of them needed money to pay bills," said West. "Some of them have been struggling with other things. Some of them barely make $1,000 in a month."

It follows a recent trend of tremendous tippers in Colorado; in late January, a tipper left more than $1,000 and a note that said "Covid Sucks!" at Notchtop Bakery & Cafe in Estes Park.