The most-read news story on MLive of the past few weeks was about what unfolded after a customer left a $10,000 tip on a $32 check at a restaurant in Benton Harbor.
Was all that reader interest over the feel-good aspects of a stranger spreading joy to a hard-working staff in the wake of attending a funeral for a friend? No, that was the original piece MLive wrote about the tip, and that story received just one-tenth of the readership of the second story we wrote.
The compelling follow-up was that in the wake of the tip, the server was fired by the restaurant, The Mason Jar Cafe. And not just that: After that dismissal, the restaurant and its owners were besieged in a wave of what is now commonly known as “cancel culture,” over the phone and via the business’s Facebook page.
“They’re calling the restaurant, they’re harassing my staff, they’re telling us to burn in hell,” said business co-owner Jayme Cousins. “It’s just been horrible.”
Cousins was upfront with an MLive reporter when he called to look into the firing and the circumstances behind it. She said the server shared the tip with co-workers, that the firing was a business decision unrelated to the tip, and that she wouldn’t give any more details due to labor laws and the fact that other employees were involved.
So, do you want to know what else I happen to know?
It’s a great restaurant in a part of downtown Benton Harbor that is steadily attracting investment – boutiques, a small community theater, a burger bar, a trendy high-end restaurant. I know this because I’ve spent quite a bit of time there.
I also know The Mason Jar has a funky, fun atmosphere, which includes an occasional DJ on the patio in the summer. The menu is sourced from local farms and businesses, down to the hot sauce. The kitchen is open, and you can talk to the cooks. It employs a lot of students, and the staff is attentive and friendly.
Oh, you thought I knew more about the server’s firing? No, I don’t, and neither do all the people criticizing the restaurant and its owners. I’m not saying the owner did the right thing or the wrong thing – I’m saying I don’t know enough to make a judgment.
I can understand the reader interest in the “dog bites man” twist to the story. It’s interesting to journalists, too. Having written the original story about the $10,000 tip, we were compelled to tell readers not only about the firing, but the community reaction to it.
But I am also mindful of a core tenet of journalism that works quite well in all aspects of life: Never assume. Deal in fact, not conjecture.
Unless you personally know the people involved, everything we all know comes from quotes the owner gave to media (our reporters could not reach the server who was fired). Everything else that has formed the basis of people’s comments came from them filling in gaps with assumptions, biases, or their past personal experiences.
There’s always more to every story, but frankly, assumptions add nothing but static. If it’s important for you to know more, dig in and find facts to shape your thoughts or behaviors.
Toward that end, here’s a fact about The Mason Jar that you may find helpful: If you want to enjoy the Sunday brunch there, be prepared to wait for a table. It’s a very popular place.
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