a real homer

Astros star shocks Houston waitress with massive tip in new YouTube video

Alex Bregman high 5 five Astros orange jersey close up

Bregman wants to bring smiles to random Houstonians.

Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Alex Bregman is nervous. His hands are sweaty.

The usually steely-eyed slugger isn’t staring down a pitcher in a pivotal matchup. Rather, the Astros star is sitting at The Moonshiners Southern Table & Bar, the popular downtown restaurant he frequents with his buddies.

As cameras document his every move for his blossoming YouTube channel, he’s about to make a crucial play: surprising a young waitress with a huge tip that will help her in her hour of need. “Alex called me and told me he and some buddies were coming in,” says Sam Aceituno-Zaldaña, general manager of Moonshiners. “Then he asked me if any of my waitstaff were single moms or struggling. He’s trying to randomly do good deeds for people and wants to help.”

Turns out that Moonshiners waitress Jordan Thompson fit the bill. The college student had just reported that her car was broken into; worse, her rent money was stolen from the vehicle. “She felt terrible and was even more embarrassed to lose that money,” recalls Aceituno-Zaldaña.

In the video that’s generating major buzz (well over 150,000 views in just 48 hours) and love for Bregman, he and his friends politely and casually chat with Thompson, make a sudden exit, and insist for the bill for their iced teas (she offers to comp them).

Bregman then leaves $500 cash and quickly exits. In tears, Thompson follows him out and hugs him as Bregman admits that he was “nervous” about the big reveal, grinning to the camera. “It’s good — it’s a success,” he reports.

The World Series champ has a history of championing Moonshiners. Aceituno-Zaldaña reports that Bregman “comes in two or three times a week” and will even dine there before and after games. He’s tweeted that the restaurant’s brisket grilled cheese is “the best post game meal in Houston” and even the “best meal in HTown.”

Aceituno-Zaldaña expects more random acts of kindness from Bregman at his restaurant and other spots around town. “He’s humble and generous and just looking to make a difference in people’s lives,” says Aceituno-Zaldaña. “The money isn’t life-changing, the moment is. Nothing was going right for Jordan, then this happened. That’s what it’s all about.”

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granting a reprieve

Harris County forgives hundreds of small business loans for struggling locals

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Dr. Randy Mitchmore (center, pictured with his staff) is one of the hundred of recipients of the new gift.

The global pandemic has wreaked havoc on local small businesses; many have struggled without savings, credit, and capital to continue on during the downturn. For some immediate relief, Harris County and the Houston-Galveston Area Council (HGAC) offered some 444 area small businesses interest-free loans of up to $25,000 earlier this year.

The loans would be forgiven in five years, per the initial Harris County COVID-19 Forgivable Loan Program agreement.

Now, in some feel-good, holiday news, the loans have been converted into grants, thanks to federal CARES Act funding received by the county, according to a statement by Harris County and Houston-Galveston Area Council.

“Many of the owners have already made use of the funds they received. Knowing that they don’t have to pay it back, that it’s all theirs, gives them one less thing to worry about at a time when so many have been impacted,” said Omar Fortune, manager of the Houston-Galveston Area Local Development Corporation (H-GALDC), in a statement. (The organization handled the underwriting process and distribution of loans to small businesses.) “We’re pleased to be able to provide this gift to these small businesses that are so important to our region. That it’s happening during the holiday season makes it even more special.”

Originally launched on April 9, the Harris County COVID-19 Forgivable Loan program distributed $10 million to the 444 small businesses by the summer. On October 6, Harris County approved the loan conversion to grants, according to a press release. Small businesses that had already begun paying back their loans have had their payments reimbursed by the county, according to HGAC.

Local business owners are “ecstatic” upon hearing the news, according to H-GAC. “ This whole experience has been an emotional roller coaster, but I’m extremely positive about the future,” said Museum District-area dentist, Dr. Randy Mitchmore, in a statement. “I’m proud to own a small business, and we have a direct impact on the local community. I’m also grateful for this program and that it was able to help small businesses as intended.”

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