After a Barista Had $20 Stolen From His Tip Jar, Customers Showed up With Over $1,000

Love has been brewing for years for the family behind a bustling community coffee shop.

On March 4, Michael Coyne, co-owner of Red White and Brew Coffeehouse in Warwick, Rhode Island, realized at the end of the day that most of the $20 he had earned in tips was gone. There was only about $2 left behind.

The 30-year-old, who has autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), interacts with regular customers, works the register and prepares beverages and food, from macchiatos to bagels with cream cheese.

Michael Coyne at Red, White and Brew Coffeehouse in Warwick, Rhode Island. Courtesy Sheila Coyne

Right after the theft, he told his mother, co-owner Sheila Coyne, about it.

“I tried to tell him that it’s disappointing, but sometimes people do bad things,” Sheila tells TODAY.com, adding that security cameras are pointed at the door and not the register, so they have no idea who stole the tips.

“I said, ‘I’ll give you the money,’ and I thought all would be well, but it wasn’t,” she says. “He was still sad.”

The next day, Michael told two regulars about the theft: the Warwick police chief and one of his sergeants. Then, Sheila and Michael posted a video about the incident to Facebook on March 5, expressing how it made both of them feel.

“Michael learned a lesson yesterday,” Sheila says in the video. “He was sad, he was disappointed, and I think it felt worse because we feel like this is a safe space here in our cafe, and it’s really homey, and I think it felt like more of a violation.”

Warwick Mayor Frank Picozzi reposted the video and called the petty theft “infuriating.”

“I’ve come to know Michael very well and believe me, it’s not the money that’s bothering him, he’s hurt,” Picozzi wrote. “If you’re in the area please stop in, it would mean the world to Michael and his co-workers.”

From there, things started to turn around: Picozzi, regular customers and first-timers stopped in to Red White and Brew to show Michael their support.

Michael Coyne with other staff at Red, White and Brew Coffeehouse in Warwick, Rhode Island. Courtesy Sheila Coyne

“It’s been every walk of life; it’s been young couples to elderly men that have come in,” Sheila says, adding that since the video was posted, Michael has made over $1,400 in tips.

“A lady who came in, she got a latte and handed me a $100 bill,” Michael says. “She said she has a 15-year-old son who has autism.”

Sheila Coyne and her son Michael Coyne, co-owners of Red, White and Brew. Courtesy Sheila Coyne

People have called from out of state to show Michael their support, with some even purchasing tees emblazoned with the shop’s tagline, “Brewed to Include,” with the intention of donating them to some of Michael’s peers who live in group homes.

“He’s making more in tips than we’re making in the register,” says Sheila. “Had someone not taken that money, Michael would not have gotten to see all the good in people.”

“It’s not the money either,” she adds. “It’s the way they speak to Michael, the way they’ve come in just to encourage him and support him.”

Michael Coyne with his new tip jar at Red, White and Brew. Courtesy Sheila Coyne

These days, Michael’s tip jar is a bit more secure: Officers made him a new one with a lid on top and a slot, which they say would be more noticeable on the security camera.

“I feel absolutely loved,” Michael says, and his mother adds, “And what a nice feeling that is.”