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Mendon Restaurant Staff Stunned By $4,000 Tip Left By Peloton Challenge Team

MENDON (CBS) - At Lowell's Restaurant, in the little town of Mendon, a big group came for breakfast recently. About 20 members of Wicked Smaht Zone, an online team of passionate Peloton riders.

"We all get to have fun on the bike and do some extra special things as well," explained Joshua Vernon, who created the rapidly growing group and lives in Mendon.

Special things, Vernon refers to, like spreading kindness; especially to those for whom the pandemic has been tough.

"The staff and the service industry all over the world has been impacted by this. They've come to work so we can have some type of normalcy in our lives," he said.

The large party of fully vaccinated and boosted riders paid their check and left. The Lowell's staff was left stunned by a tip close to $4000.

"We were pretty excited when we all found out. Me and Stephanie literally had shocked faces!"

"Definitely saving up for college. Super excited about it. I told my mom and put it away. Can't touch it," two servers recalled.

Lowell's has been a part of the Mendon community for more than 30 years.

"The smiles behind those masks tells it all. It's great. We're very grateful," said owner Lydia Kotsianas.

This "challenge team" has some 1200 members across New England. Most don't know the Lowell's staff; they don't have to.

"Times are tough for everyone. Little acts like this might go a long way. Just anything anyone can do right now to put a smile on someone else's face. It doesn't matter what it is," Vernon added.

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