Stranger gives huge tip to struggling western Sydney cafe Brew & Bite

A cafe owner has been left in tears after a regular customer gave her an enormous payment to keep her struggling business afloat.

A Sydney cafe owner has been left in tears after a regular customer gave her a $500 tip to keep her business afloat.

Kritika Sami from Baulkham Hills in the city’s west said her revenue was down by 90 per cent ever since Sydney was plunged into lockdown at the end of June.

The mother-of-two runs Brew & Bite, a “very small coffee shop” in Norwest Marketown shopping centre.

She said for the last four weeks she has been muddling along “struggling, trying to survive,” to feed her 11-year-old son and 15-year-old daughter.

On Tuesday, a generous customer walked through the door, and gave her a $500 tip.

“My heart is melting,” Ms Sami told news.com.au.

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Kritika took a happy snap with Mike after the kind act.

Kritika has been struggling to survive ever since lockdown started.

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Ms Sami vowed to pay back the customer.

“I will give him free coffee, (worth) $500,” she said.

“I’m not taking that money for free, I’m going to give him free coffee.”

“The gesture was so overwhelming.”

“I’m in tears.”

The customer, identified only as Mike, visits her coffee shop every Saturday and Sunday.

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It’s estimated that NSW’s lockdown is bleeding $1 billion out of the economy every week, mostly from hospitality and retail stores.

Small businesses have been hit hardest by lockdown.

The NSW government originally copped criticism for excluding thousands of small businesses making less than $75,000 from its business support package, but have since announced a further $1.4 billion in funding.

Now “microbusinesses” making between $30,000 and $75,000 can receive $1500 a fortnight if they’ve lost at least 30 per cent of their turnover.

Up to $10,000 will be available for larger businesses which have seen a reduction in turnover because of the shutdown sparked by the Bondi Delta variant cluster.

Workers are able to get a one-off $500 payment if they can prove their hours have been cut or lost altogether.

However, many think it’s not enough support, and that JobKeeper should be reintroduced.

It comes as NSW recorded more than 100 Covid cases on Wednesday.

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