Customer Leaves $500 Tip At Restaurant: Patch PM

WALTHAM, MA — It's Tuesday, Dec. 22. The snow is melting and people are getting in last minute holiday shopping. Here's what Patch has been covering in greater Boston and across Massachusetts today.

This weekend, the staff at one Waltham restaurant had to do a double take because of the size of the tip someone left.

"That was definitely a first, it was something very special," said In A Pickle restaurant's general manager Shannon Rossi.

At the end of their meal, a man and his companion asked the server to give them a running start before she opened the tip. When they left, the server found a bright red envelope that read "Merry Christmas. Please divide this between the waitstaff, hostess, cooks, dishwasher and bartender on today's shift, 12-20-20."

And inside? Five $100 bills. Read the rest of the story: Customer Leaves $500 Tip At Waltham Restaurant

Elsewhere in greater Boston

Property Next To Reebok Estate Sells For $18M: According to the Boston Business Journal a developer is planning to build five homes on the seven acre property in Tom Brady's old Chestnut Hill neighborhood.

2021 Sundance Film Festival Coming To The Coolidge Corner Theatre: The local theater is the only one in Massachusetts to get tapped to help with one of the most respected film festivals.

How New Capacity Restrictions Could Impact Newton Restaurants: Capacity limits will go into effect Saturday as the state anticipates a holiday spike in coronavirus cases.

Boston Woman Toppling Competition With Elaborate Domino Creations: Lily Hevesh has turned her passion into a huge following on YouTube and even her own toy line, building her career one domino at a time.

Also:

• Watertown PD To Deploy Extra Drunk Driving Patrols For Holidays
  
• Brookline To Pilot Outdoor Dining Through Winter
• Watertown Dispensary Introduces Recreational Marijuana
• Belmont Boutique Hosts Temporary Pop-Up At Arsenal Yards
  
• Wellesley Chamber Joins Newton-Needham Regional Chamber

Across Massachusetts

A Joke A Day Keeps The Pandemic Blues Away In Natick: A Natick woman has posted a joke outside her home almost daily since the pandemic began, attracting gifts, smiles and at least one heckler. She was inspired by a jokester in Newton this spring, and the gag just keeps going... and going.

Baker Lowers MA Business Capacity Limits Amid Coronavirus Surge: Gov. Charlie Baker said the new limits will go into effect Saturday and last at least two weeks.

MA Offers Aid For Small Businesses As Holiday Sales Look Bleak: There's only enough money to help about 10 percent of the applicants. Thousands did not make the cut.

And finally today:

It will be a white Christmas, they said. There will be a Nor'easter, they said.

Well, Tropical Storm Zeta may bring wet snow Thursday into Friday, with some flurries possible as far east as Boston, but it's looking more like a melty Christmas.

At least we'll have the memories from last Thursday. Read more.

Got a tip? Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna). Have a something you'd like posted on the Patch? Here's how.