Has the mystery “pay-it-forward” man struck again?

That’s what Sykes’ restaurant owner-manager Mike Thompson is wondering after an anonymous man quietly paid the bill for a large group of customers dining at the popular Kalispell eatery on Tuesday.

Two weeks ago a similar incident occurred at Finnigan’s in Kalispell, when an unknown man showed up around midnight and paid the tab for everyone in the restaurant.

“I’m curious if it is the same guy,” Thompson said. “He asked me about a table of 18 guys and I told him who they were. He wanted it kept quiet, but wanted to pay their bill and then he paid a very generous tip as well.”

The benevolent man at Finnegan’s also doled out generous tips. In that case his generosity rubbed off on others, with another diner paying for someone’s meal and restaurant employees splitting their tips so the janitor and dishwasher got some extra cash, too.

Thompson said the man got to watch the responses from the men as they realized someone had paid their bill.

“He enjoyed that, though none of the guys he paid for know who it was who had done it,” Thompson said.

Their total bill was around $175, about the same amount the mystery man spent at Finnigan’s.

“Interesting...,” Thompson mused.