It was a good night at a Thunder Bay restaurant for diners who became the recipients of a random act of kindness.

THUNDER BAY -- An apparent random act of kindness sent some Thunder Bay diners home Monday evening with their bellies full and their wallets no lighter than when they arrived at the restaurant.

A patron at Beaux Daddy's on Highway 61 had been eating alone. When he got ready to pay up and leave, he told the staff he also wanted to cover the tabs for the people who had been dining at five other tables.

The tables included a party of six and a party of eight.

Beaux Daddy's chef Jason MacKenzie said the other customers didn't find out about the gesture until after the man had left.

"They were pretty excited. It's not very often that you're out having dinner and this happens. Especially the group of eight. They were thrilled that this gentleman they didn't even know would go and buy supper for them like that."

The bill, including tips, came to about $850.

MacKenzie said some people have speculated the man might have been one of the recent local lottery winners, but he believes he is from out of town, and was a guest at the hotel across the road.

He said he and the owner of the restaurant had been having a casual conversation about random acts of kindness earlier in the evening, but "I don't know if he heard us talking about it."