As the product of parents who supported their family by working in the Boston area’s service industry, Donnie Wahlberg knows exactly how hard restaurant staff members work every day. That’s why he decided to give back in a big way during a trip to North Carolina this week.
After filming an upcoming episode of his CBS cop drama “Blue Bloods,” the New Kids on the Block star stopped for a bite to eat at a Waffle House in Charlotte on Wednesday. According to a Facebook post by Wahlberg, the waitstaff treated him “like a king,” so he decided to say thanks by dropping a pretty hefty tip on his relatively small bill.
The 47-year-old Dorchester native left an extra $2,000 on his $82.60 bill, or nearly 25 times the amount for his meal. Not bad for a day’s work.
Wahlberg shared an image of the bill as well as a selfie with the Waffle House crew on social media, along with a caption that recalled his parents’ service industry past.
“My mom waited tables, and my dad tended bars — for years!” Wahlberg wrote. “So, when I walk into a [Waffle House] and the staff treats me like a king, you better believe I treat them like queens!”
Apparently Wahlberg loves eating at Waffle House so much that he’s been popping in at locations no matter where he is on the road during his band’s Total Package tour, which stopped at Fenway Park last weekend. Not only did he treat the Charolette staff to a nice tip, but the NKOTB star also gave away front row seats and backstage passes, according to his Facebook live video earlier in the day.
We’re guessing that if Wahlberg wasn’t busy performing and helping out his own family’s restaurant chain, he’d be down to open up his own Waffle House franchise. He even admitted in his Facebook Live stream that, “If I’m not at Wahlburgers, guess where I am? Waffle House.”
