Restaurant workers' brief moment of ecstactic joy

A joyful 20 minutes was brought to an abrupt and sad ending. Photo / YouTube

Workers at a New Jersey restaurant thought they had won the $949m Powerball jackpot, only to later realize they were looking at the wrong day's numbers.

The staff at the restaurant collectively pooled $210 on tickets hoping they could take the prize.

And they thought they did - for about 20 minutes.

A friend of one of the workers texted him the numbers without realising the webpage was showing Wednesday's numbers rather than Saturday's.

The ticket had been a perfect match for the wrong day, bringing the celebrations to an abrupt halt.

One dishwasher even thrown his apron off, declaring "I'm outta here! I quit!".

"It was like getting punched in the stomach," bartender Charles Poveromo told The New York Post.

"There was just so much joy, and I can't put into words the feelings of euphoria that we all felt."

Poveromo's wife sensibly suggested he double check the numbers and the party came crashing down.

"It was like a balloon deflating," he said.

The dishwasher who had just quit reportedly picked his apron up and said "back to work."