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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - The city of Ogden was still buzzing Tuesday about mysterious tips totaling thousands of dollars left at two downtown bars and a golf course.
Neither bar was revealing who left the generous tips about 10 days ago, and it was unclear if the gratuities were left by the same person, the Standard-Examiner of Ogden reported.
The Daily Mail of Britain has speculated the tips may have been left by British billionaire Sir Richard Branson since he was in town for an entrepreneurs conference.
But Jared Allen, the owner of the bar Alleged - where a man left a $1,000 tip on a $49 bill - said Branson was in town but didn't leave the tip.
A man who identified himself as the manager at Brewskis - where the newspaper said someone left a $5,000 tip on a $214 bill at his bar - also said that tip was not from Branson. The man declined to give his name or say who left the tip.
A phone call to Branson's representatives was not immediately returned.
The tip at Alleged was so big and unusual that the tableside iPad wouldn't initially accept it because it surpassed the 100 percent tip limit, Allen said.
After double- and triple-checking with the man that he meant to leave the large gratuity, workers helped him navigate the software. Allen told Good Morning America that three bartenders and one server split the $1,000.
"They were all just glowing and really excited," Allen said. "Everyone was a little bewildered and just laughing and couldn't believe it."
Allen also said a big spender gave $1,000 to a woman running the beer cart at a golf course. He didn't know for sure but guessed it was the same man.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
