The customer left a note on the receipt saying he grew up dirt poor and that he hoped this would help the staff have a better Christmas.

A Bellevue restaurant patron gave the staff a lot of extra holiday cheer by leaving a $3,000 tip Saturday.

The staff at The Brief Encounter Cafe in Bellevue say he's a regular customer on the weekends. They describe him as a friendly, low-key guy who always sits in the same booth and orders the same breakfast.

Saturday seemed no different. He ate his breakfast and chatted with the hostess.

Then he left behind the $3,000 tip on a $39.60 bill without saying a word.

The staff thought it was a mistake until they saw this note written on the back of the receipt:

"You guys do a great job! When I was 7, I washed dishes and my mom cooked in a diner like this. We were dirt poor and didn't have money for Christmas. Hopefully, this will help all of you have a better Christmas."

He also left his cell phone number in case the credit card company questioned the validity of the tip.

The staff was in tears. Some in the group said this money was really needed.

The customer turned out to be Dwayne Clark, the CEO of Aegis Living.