Coffee Shop Food Drive for Tip Jar Thief

A coffee shop in Ohio started a food drive to help a thief. The young man was seen on surveillance cameras stealing from the tip jar at the Nervous Dog Coffee Bar and Roasters in Stow.

Many hard working baristas and coffee shop owners will tell you that theft is common, especially around the holidays. It can be devastating to the people who depend on their tips to supplement their income, and many victims press charges.

Manager Scott Moses decided instead to start a food drive for the thief:

“We assume that if he was desperate enough to steal tips, he’s probably in desperate times,”

Both the Stow location and the location in Akron, Ohio have started collecting food for the unknown man. They have promised that if he comes in, he will be given the food with no questions asked.

“In the holiday spirit, we decided to help this guy out,” Moses told WKYC in Ohio.

The baristas who work for Nervous Dog Coffee Bar have joined their manager in this rare display of true good will. The first donation came from the barista who served him the day of the theft.

So far the stores have gathered three boxes of food in the hopes that the young man will return.

They have said if he does not come in they will donate the food to a local food pantry. Moses is hopeful that the young man will return so they can show him compassion in person:

“If he does see this, I’d tell him to come back into the Nervous Dog Coffee Bar in Stow. We’d love to have you back,”

This remarkable story has met with mixed responses on the company’s Facebook page. While many people have commended the staff for this selfish response, some people disapprove. Accusations that the company is trying to reward a thief have not dissuaded the food drive.

This is a rare, wonderful example of the potential for forgiveness and generosity and is a refreshing break from the frenzy of the shopping season.