Bar Owners Remove $10,000 Stapled to Walls To Give to Now-Unemployed Staff

By Amanda Thomason April 15, 2020 at 1:58pm

Some ordinary things that have been around for a while have become surprisingly relevant in the past few months. Toilet paper, cleaning supplies, flour and eggs — if you told someone just a few months ago that these things would be in high demand and difficult to find, no one would have believed you.

Perhaps less surprising is the way some bars’ decor has come in clutch as customers were limited to curbside pick-up and delivery.

One bar in Tybee, Georgia, had a tradition of patrons stapling dollar bills to the wall. What was once quirky decor has become a financial pick-me-up.

The location, appropriately called Sand Bar, ended up collecting over $3,000 worth of bills once they were removed and cleaned up. The money was divided amongst the staff and was greatly appreciated.

Another bar and restaurant called Hott Leggz, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, had a similar tradition. Customers would write messages on bills and staple them to the walls, pillars, and even ceiling.

One bill read “I Love You Forever,” and was co-owner Juliana Sodre’s favorite.

“It was a message my sister-in-law, who worked here, wrote to my nephew,” she explained to the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “She passed away last year.”

This cash wallpaper had been building for nine years at Hott Leggz, and Sodre even admitted they’d joked about a situation in which they’d need to use it.

“We always had a running joke that if something went wrong with the bar, at least we had worst-case-scenario money,” Sodre said. “Well, this is a worst-case scenario.”

The decision to donate the cash was an easy one after the difficult decision to lay off 22 of the 25 employees.

“We were like, there’s literally money on the walls, so let’s donate it all to the employees,” Sodre said.

After being stapled (some multiple times) to the inside of the bar, the bills weren’t exactly clean or easily accessible. It took time to remove them all carefully and tally up the final count.

While the bar isn’t releasing just how much cash was secured, the Sentinel said the unofficial count was in the neighborhood of $10,000.

On Facebook, Hott Leggz announced that they would be giving the cash to the employees, but they also offered a way for readers to participate in the fun.

“Hott Leggz is donating wall $ to the staff,” the post read. “Dollar Challenge: guess how much is on our walls!!!”

According to their elaboration in the comments section, guess entries cost $1 and would also be donated to staff that had been laid off. Whoever guessed the “closest without going over” would be the proud owner of a $100 gift certificate to the restaurant.

In the meantime, the walls have been cleaned and the inside has been spruced up. Co-owner Ky Novak said that they will continue the tradition once patrons are allowed to dine in again.

“Then we’ll start the dollar bills all over again,” Novak said. “Everyone should leave their mark.”

Novak also recognized that taking down and distributing the money was the right thing to do.

“It’s important for us to take care of our employees,” Novak added. “At the end of the day, it’s not life-changing money, but it can get them through the next week or two.”

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