NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark – It’s been a long several weeks for restaurants across the state. A North Little Rock BBQ joint is thanking it’s loyal customers for keeping the orders coming. One patron, in particular, left a $500 tip on his bill to help keep the business afloat.

It’s just call aheads and take out orders at Lindsey’s BBQ for the foreseeable future.

“We’re going to try and hold out as long as we can,” Owner Donnie Lindsey said.

While the cars keep turning in, traffic isn’t as steady as when the doors were open and the seats were full.

“It’s been tough. Very tough. We have had to let go of some employees, we’ve had to cut back on some of our business as far as our purchasing,” Lindsey said.

Donnie and his wife Eleanor say what’s keeping the kitchen running is the loyal customers that keep coming back for more.

“They come in and ‘what’s the special, do I still get my beef over rice today, do I still get my turkey and dressing’ and they’ve been here,” Eleanor said.

Monday, Eleanor was taking an order out to one of those patrons. The bill was $10.29 but when it came back through the window, the receipt read $510.29.

“When I took the credit card machine back I said oh wait a minute you must have made a mistake and he said ‘no I didn’t,’” Eleanor said.

He wasn’t looking for a thank you or to be recognized.

“He just said ‘I need you all to be here. I need you all to be here,’” Eleanor said.

All he wanted to do was make sure this drive through stayed open.

“It hit me I mean I was emotional because just the generosity,” Eleanor said.

For the Lindsey’s, this act of kindness came at the perfect time. It shows as much as they rely on the community, the community also relies on them.

“You know it’s that encouragement. Just keep going. Just keep going. I don’t care how hard it gets just keep going,” Eleanor said.