Waitress 'Speechless' After Denied Tip for 'Lifestyle' Choice

It's almost 5 p.m. Friday, and the weekend dinner crowd is just starting to build at Gallop Asian Bistro on Route 202. Incoming customers work their way around TV news vans in the parking lot, who came to the restaurant to speak to Dayna Morales, the Marine vet and waitress who posted a receipt showing a customer's insult about her "lifestyle."

But if the customer's aim was to diminish or demoralize Morales in any way, it certainly backfired: surrounded by a family of co-workers who rallied around her, as well as the outpouring from across the country, Morales remains upbeat and happy—even after countless interviews and repetitions of her story.   

"It's very overwhelming," she said of the response to her post. "I'm just speechless."

She said she posted the receipt online after a woman, with two children, refused to pay a tip on their dinner bill Wednesday, instead writing, "Sorry but I cannot tip because I don't agree with your lifestyle and how you live your life."    

Morales said she's been surprised by the response to her post—"I was just venting to my friends and family," she said.

The Rockland County, N.Y., native now living in Bedminster has been working at the upscale Asian fusion restaurant since its July opening, where, according to Manager Gina Abello, the staff has become one big family.

"We're all just very close," Abello said. "We go through everything together. All we've done since it happened is rally together."

Abello described Morales as "one of the most amazing people" she knows, and said she was livid and heartbroken when Morales told her about the incident.

"She's glad to be bringing attention to something that we all know exists," Abello added.

Ironically, Abello said she had talked to Morales about a recent similar incident at a restaurant in Kansas.

"We both said something like that couldn't happen here—but it did," she said. 

Restaurant Manager Bobby Vanderhoof was the first person Morales told about the incident, and he said he was shocked. He noted the customer first insulted Morales, making a joke of her name, but added Morales didn't try to have someone else take her customer, instead provided them with the service that Abello said is among the best available.

But, Vanderhoof noted, she was apparently good enough to provide service but not good enough to tip.

"And to write an opinion to try and bring someone down—it doesn't get worse that than," he said.

The restaurant has been getting lots of calls from prospective customers, as well as those calling to wish Morales well, which Abello said is fine with the restaurant's management.

Meanwhile, Morales, who served from 2009-2011 in the Marines and called her time in the Corps "the positive side of the military," was also inundated with calls, requesting interviews. She said the reality of being the focus of the news hasn't hit her yet—then tuned her focus to her customers coming in for Friday's dinner.