I Work(ed) in a Restaurant, and Now I Understand...

[ASTalumna06]

Just because KSUviolet asked nicely...

Tell us all of your crazy stories from when you worked in a restaurant!

I have so many stories, I don't even know where to start.. so I'll actually begin with something that happened to my ex, but I was there to witness it.. and it's kind of hilarious.

Back in high school, my ex worked at Wendy's. I would always go to visit him at the end of his shift. On the weekends, he sometimes worked late.. until 1 or 2 in the morning. Needless to say, on most occasions, there weren't a lot of customers at that time.

So one night, I'm out front standing by the registers while he's cleaning up in back. Someone came up to the speaker and while he takes the order he has a strange look on his face. He says that all the person wanted was a Sprite with no ice.. an unusual request. So the kid drives up to the window.. I'd say he was in his early twenties. He's by himself. He hands my ex $2, says, "Keep the change"... then he throws the Sprite back in through the drive-thru window and yells, "FIRE IN THE HOLE!" and drives off.

I think the funniest part about the whole thing is that he was by himself. I could see if he was with a bunch of friends and they all wanted to pull a prank, but nope.. it was just him.

At least he was courteous enough to ask for no ice

[KSUViolet06]

YAY.

Reposting my story from the other thread:

It's like an hour before the game on Super Bowl Sunday. We have a drive-through where you can pay/pick up if you don't have time to park/come inside.

The line is out of our parking lot and TO THE STREET because everyone waits until 1-2 hrs before the start to come pick up food.

Most of the folks in line were really patient (and understood the long line/wait). We were even giving out FREE 2 liters to people for their wait.

Most people = complain about the wait, but forget about it when you give them their change and a FREE 2 liter.

I got to this lady and as soon as she pulls up, she starts GOING OFF.

OMGWTFBBQ THIS LINE IS SOOOO LONG. YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES. WTF! I WANT TO SPEAK WITH YOUR MANAGER!!!!

I apologize for her wait and tell her she's getting a free 2 liter.

Her response: I DON'T GIVE A F**K!

I asked her what kind of 2 liter she wanted and she insisted on speaking to my manager.

I said ok and shut the drive-through window (it's Jan/Feb in Ohio--cold so I shut it anytime I walk away) and go get Manager.

I came back, opened it, and she GRABBED ME (with my manager like 5 feet away from me) and said "DIDN'T I JUST SAY I WANTED TO SPEAK TO YOUR MANAGER???"

Manager grabbed me away from the lady and my co-worker called the cops. They came and basically told her "That was unnacceptable. Don't come up here again" and took a report of what happened.

I could've pressed charges but I wasn't hurt and didn't think it was necessary. I think she got the point because I never saw her again.

[IrishLake]

Oh lord. I worked in restaurants all through college. I know I have horrible stories, but I need to think of them.

I used to work at Applebee's in the summer in Sandusky (tourist town). Wednesday nights were all you could eat riblets night (barf). Well, it was bad enough that about 40% of the people who came through there barely tipped 10% because they blew all their money aat Cedar Point, but wednesdays were the worst. So one night, a table of 4 came in and the 2 men ordered the all you can eat riblets. You started out with 7 strips, and then refills had 4. These men ordered their next set of riblets as soon as their food was delivered. No problem. Riblets came out before the men were ready for them. Ten minutes later, they want more riblets because the first refills I brought out were cold. By this time, the kitchen is slammed, and it's been about 15 minutes and there are no riblets. I profusely apologized to the table and informed them that our manager was buying dessert for everyone in the restaurant who was wiating on riblets. The men were a little pleased, but still pissed that they both had only eaten 7 strips of riblets each (yet refused to eat the ones in front if them because they were cold). Finally, I am back at their table with 3 baskets of riblets refills.... and they're gone. GONE! They all had alcohol, had 2 appetizers, plus the 2 riblet meals and the 2 meals the females ate. Just over $70. Holy shit. It was the first time I ever had a dine n dash. I guess they felt that because they didn't get their riblets fast enough, they didn't have to pay for anything. Good thing my manager comped the meals and I didn't have to pay it out of pocket.

[Preston327]

Worked at Popeyes for two years. I've got a few good ones.

1. I was working the register one night when a friend of a coworker comes in. I know this guy a little because Coworker has driven me to work before with him in the car, and I know he doesn't like me because I'm not "ghetto" like he is/claims to be. I put my shit-eating grin on and just get through his order without any problems, but when I go to grab his change I end up giving him incorrect change (the coins were set up differently than normal, and I was just instinctively reaching for where the quarters should've been). He completely flips out, pulls out a SWITCHBLADE and goes "I could bleed you right now and nobody would do a damn thing about it." I shrugged it off as best I could, gave him his food and waited until he was gone to let the manager know what'd happened. Of course, nothing got done about it.

2. I once had to ask a guy to leave because he walked in obviously drunk with an open bottle of Hennessey and a gun stuck in the front of his pants.

3. I had someone throw a drink back at me when I worked drive-thru. I also had someone attempt to pepper spray me. Those were the only times I ever worked the drive-thru.

4. Coworkers stole $320 out of my register when the manager pulled it, left it on the counter and ordered me to work elsewhere where I couldn't keep watch over it like I should've. The manager then tried to accuse me of taking the money.

[PiKA2001]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

I have so many stories, I don't even know where to start..

Ditto

One of my most memorable ones was when I was 16 and worked at a McDonald's. This lady ordered a McFish (barf) with xtra-xtra tartar sauce from the drive thru and the guy making the sandwich ended up putting a little too much tartar sauce on it. She comes running in the store like a wildebeest screaming and hollering and freaking out trying to start a fight with whoever made the sandwich.

"WHO THE FUCK MADE THIS, WHO? I GONNA FUCK YOU UP YOU SONNA BICH!!!!"

We ended up having to call the police.

To this day I've never seen anybody FREAK OUT, even on TV, the way this lady did.....all over a 99 cent sandwich.

[AlphaFrog]

I've got a few stories to post later, but here's one to start:


Diner in my college town...somehow, I'm the only actual college student that worked there, but most of the girls (boss blatantly states that she DOES NOT hire male waiters) are my age. This new-ish, wannabe-ghetto girl gets into it with another coworker on a Saturday. That next Monday, I'm working with ghetto girl, and she starts talking about how much she hates the prissy coworker (the one she started crap with), and that one Saturday, she was going to wait in the alley outside for prissy coworker to leave, then she was going to jump her and "cut a bitch". Thing is, I knew she was serious. I reported it to the boss, who fired her. The next few weeks, I made the guys in the kitchen walk me to my car every night. That chick was crazy.

[IrishLake]

My very first ever job with a real paycheck (I had baby sat, mucked stalls, and given lessons before, but that was under the table cash) was at an ice crem stand. I was 15. It was in a not so great part of town, but I wanted to work there because the owner of the shop was a lady who lived around the corner from my house and I babysat for her as well.
For one, I did not like the people I worked with, and they hated me. One older girl (19) made my life a living hell because my 4-H project beat hers out the year before. She thought she should have won based on senority alone. And she hated me because I was tight with the owners, and she aspired to be. All of the other girls hated me because I went to the Catholic high school, and they went to public school. They thought I was snobby and stuck up, when in reality they were. Working with them made things bad enough.

The worst thing I can remember is when a car pulled through the drive thru one day. There was a massively obese woman driving and she had about 7 kids in her little car, all of them unbuckled. She ordered tons of hot food and ice cream both. First she ranted and raved about the cost. Her order was like $40, and she kept insisting that it should only be $20. Not when you order that much damn food! I had to do the math on a calculator right in front of her. She finally nixed a few things off her order, and gave me $30... out of her bra. Ew. We finally got all her food out, and the last thing we had to give her was her extra large pineapple shake. Now, we had a policy posted right on the window "Shake and malts flavors can be made with real fruit upon request for an additional charge." We normally just used a flavor based syrup for shakes and malts and such, and the real fruit topping was reserved for sundaes. So I handed her her massive shake, and she left. Ten minutes later, she's back in the drive through screaming about hwo we did NOT give her a pineapple shake. I immediately assumed that I messed up and used banana flavoring instead. My mistake, so I made her another and made sure to use pineapple flavor. I took it to her, and once again she started screaming that "This is not fucking pineapple!!!!" So I asked her why she thought it wasn't pineapple, and she said "there's no little pieces of pineapple in it!" So I pointed out our policy clearly posted on the window sign, and she freaks out again. So I tell her to never mind the charge, and I take her shake and go put a heaping scoope of pineapple topping in it, and mix it up again. I handed it to her, she took a drink, and it must have been ok because she nodded and just drove away.
Little did I know that she thought I was messing with her. Another five minutes later, her massive self was out of the car, in front of the shop, and she throws the shake at the front windows. We had milkshake allllllll over the place outside, some of it coming through the little screen windows and she's screaming her head off.... One of the chicks insisted that I had to go outside and calm her down. Um... NO! Finally, another customer yelled at us to call the police. She heard the guy, screamed at him, but went back to her car full of kids and took off, never to be seen from again.

[Chicago88]

I have worked in a restaurant from the age of 16, starting off as hostess to server, to cocktail and bartender. I currently am a banquet captain at a fine dining restaurant downtown and I've waited on everyone from jerry jones to kim kardashian. Ill post later when I can think of stories but until then you all need to you tube Bon Qui Qui by Anjelah Johnson. Its a skit that she did on Mad tv i think and for all of you who have worked in the service industry would appreciate it.

Oh! Now that I think of it..

I was a closer one night recently. It was on a friday night so I got out about a little after 1 am. I live 30 minutes away from where I work. I really wanted Taco Cabana breakfast tacos when I got off and the one by my house isnt 24 hour. So I stop at one about half way home which is 24 hour, and its not in the best part of town but its right off the highway so its not out of my way. I pull up to the window and if you watch that video on you tube, this is who is taking my order. Of course Im polite because I know what its like to be treated like crap in the service industry. I order a small dr.pepper and 2 potato egg and cheese breakfast tacos. She replies with " you want 4 dr. peppers and 2 breakfast tacos?" No just 1 dr. pepper and 2 tacos. Silence... "Hold on let me see if were serving breakfast.." At this point I got irritated. I had a horrible night at work, I really wanted breakfast tacos, my boyfriend was being a jerk off and I just wanted to eat and get in bed. 5 minutes later.." ok whatchu want?" I respond.. I want 1..just 1 dr pepper and 2 potato egg and cheese tacos. About a minute of silence.. then she continues to repeat my order to me two or three times with different numbers of drinks and tacos. Then she comes back with "hold on let me see if were serving breakfast" So she leaves the intercom on and I hear her talking to the people who were making the food "This white bitch is making this so complicated, white bitch this white bitch that..." Oh I was livid.

She finally got my order right and I drive up to the window and she was all nice and hiiii how are you, girl i like your nails.. blah blah blah. I get my food (now Im not even hungry because Im pissed off and Im sure they did god knows what to it). I paid, and right before she said have a good night i go, This white bitch heard you. Next time turn your mic off honey. And drove off.

I was like are you kidding?! I tried to bite my tongue and I did for the most part but I was like come on!

[Smile_Awhile]

I'm lucky that , despite two summers of working food service, I have no horror stories. However, I'm aspiring to be an actress, and my family is convinced I'll be waiting tables at some point, so...

My one story relates more to my screwup than anything else. I was walking out a tray of food to a customer at a deli I worked out, where you ordered at the counter and we delivered the food to you. I had completely forgotten that someone had just mopped the bathrooms and the hallway leading towards the bathrooms, and I was walking fast. Of course, this tray had two sandwiches and two bread bowls full of soup on it.

As I stepped out onto the floor that had been mopped, my feet flew out from under me, and the tray went flying. Potato soup went EVERYWHERE, and ended up all over me and my hair and everything. It was miserable- but we all got a fabulous laugh out of it.

[SMTTT]

I worked at Backyard Burger for about 9 months.

Oh the joy of fast food..

I had a lady come in at an odd time (I think around 3:30 ish) and order 5 double cheeseburgers. And if you're never seen a backyard's double cheeseburger...its ridiculously huge and a little pricey. Anyway, I was making small talk, asking if she was getting them for a tailgate or something because it was a football night. She said, "Oh no honey my dogs just love these burgers..."

I didn't want to be rude...so I just said nothing

I have plenty more, I just can't think of them right now so I'll be posting later =)

[Alumiyum]

Originally Posted by Chicago88

I have worked in a restaurant from the age of 16, starting off as hostess to server, to cocktail and bartender. I currently am a banquet captain at a fine dining restaurant downtown and I've waited on everyone from jerry jones to kim kardashian. Ill post later when I can think of stories but until then you all need to you tube Bon Qui Qui by Anjelah Johnson. Its a skit that she did on Mad tv i think and for all of you who have worked in the service industry would appreciate it.

Oh! Now that I think of it..

I was a closer one night recently. It was on a friday night so I got out about a little after 1 am. I live 30 minutes away from where I work. I really wanted Taco Cabana breakfast tacos when I got off and the one by my house isnt 24 hour. So I stop at one about half way home which is 24 hour, and its not in the best part of town but its right off the highway so its not out of my way. I pull up to the window and if you watch that video on you tube, this is who is taking my order. Of course Im polite because I know what its like to be treated like crap in the service industry. I order a small dr.pepper and 2 potato egg and cheese breakfast tacos. She replies with " you want 4 dr. peppers and 2 breakfast tacos?" No just 1 dr. pepper and 2 tacos. Silence... "Hold on let me see if were serving breakfast.." At this point I got irritated. I had a horrible night at work, I really wanted breakfast tacos, my boyfriend was being a jerk off and I just wanted to eat and get in bed. 5 minutes later.." ok whatchu want?" I respond.. I want 1..just 1 dr pepper and 2 potato egg and cheese tacos. About a minute of silence.. then she continues to repeat my order to me two or three times with different numbers of drinks and tacos. Then she comes back with "hold on let me see if were serving breakfast" So she leaves the intercom on and I hear her talking to the people who were making the food "This white bitch is making this so complicated, white bitch this white bitch that..." Oh I was livid.

She finally got my order right and I drive up to the window and she was all nice and hiiii how are you, girl i like your nails.. blah blah blah. I get my food (now Im not even hungry because Im pissed off and Im sure they did god knows what to it). I paid, and right before she said have a good night i go, This white bitch heard you. Next time turn your mic off honey. And drove off.

I was like are you kidding?! I tried to bite my tongue and I did for the most part but I was like come on!

I applaud you for having the balls to say that to her because you should have...I've got a similar story and I wish I'd have just gone ahead and told this girl what I thought of her..."Stupid rich bitch can't count, dumb cunt"...because I ordered three drinks and one sandwich and she, twice, got it backwards which prompted me to politely remind her again at the window that it was three drinks and one sandwich. (I could tell from the total that she had in fact gotten it backwards again...yes, I order fast food that often, and I was right, she'd messed it up again and had to re-ring it). Only she said this to her coworker standing next to her AT the window, in front of me. I remember exactly what she said because a) no one calls me a bitch unless I'm being one, which I wasn't, b) oh hell no do you use the "c" word, and c) to this day I can't figure out why I was a "rich" bitch...except that maybe she just liked to rhyme. I paid her, pulled into a parking spot and went inside and asked to speak to the manager. I repeated to him exactly what she said and could see her standing behind him looking furious, so I pointed to her to make sure no one else got blamed for her bad behavior. It was one of two fast food restaurants in town and I never saw her working there again. I have a feeling I'm not the first customer she pulled that on, based on the manager's reaction. He didn't seem surprised in the least.

I was so pissed I never even got my food or drinks.

I've also had a bartender flip out on me and try to throw me out of the bar because I had apparently sat down next to and started talking to her boyfriend. To be clear, I wasn't flirting because MY boyfriend at the time was sitting on the other side of me. But for whatever reason she must have assumed I was, told me that was HER man and that I could take my "skanky ass out right now". There was about one second of silence then the dude in question laughed in her face, walked towards the door, grabbed some other girl by the waist, then walked to his car with her and left. (The bar was next to the door and a wall of windows, so everyone present witnessed this guy grab some girl and drive off.) I figured she was either bat shit crazy or being done wrong by an asshole so BF and I just left without saying anything back.

[Chicago88]

See I have a huge problem with things like this. This is your job, I do the exact same thing for a living ITS NOT THAT HARD. You know if you tell me hey I cant hear you or Im sorry I dont understand. THATS COOL! I dont care. I have days were I dont give a shit what you want to drink, or how you want your steak cooked but I fake it. In my restaurant I have to because if someone is odering a 40 dollar entree and a 350 dollar bottle of wine you better believe I fake it but I really couldnt care less. And especially if I am paying for something regardless of a 99 cent double cheeseburger I want it right!

Im not really one to cause a scene but in this case I did. Working in a restaurant I deposit cash, every day obviously from tips. Working in a fine dining restaurant and having my regulars I make a good amount each night. I bought my first car at the age of 20 (big mistake). It was a bmw. I saved hard for it, It was my baby, until it ended up in the shop every 2 weeks until I finally got rid of it. I drive up to the Bank of america window, the same bank Ive used since I was 16 mind you. The guy straight up asked me why I always deposit large amounts of cash. I told him I worked at a restaurant and sometimes I just dont go to the bank after a shift. He straight up told me " you drive a bmw what gentlemans club do you work at?" I said "one you cant afford you jackass, I hope you didn't like your job very much." Now like I said I dont cause a scene but I tol his boss exactly what he said, and to his disadvantage corporate was in town and he was fired on the spot. I'm sorry, my parents raised me with common courtesy and respect for people even strangers. I'm not one to take shit from anyone and jerk off's like that need to be put in their place.

[RaggedyAnn]

I worked in the food business for 6 years, through high school and college. The strangest thing that happened to me was during a shift at McDonald's, one of our customers dropped dead at the front counter while getting his second cup of coffee. Everyone pretty much freaked out that worked there except the manager on duty and me. We kept the drive-thru running while the ambulance was there. He cooked and I took orders. I just kept telling the customers someone was sick when they asked. We did lock the doors though. I am bad with faces, but I do remember what he looked like 20 years later.

[knight_shadow]

^^ Holy shit

I have tons of stories, but they're from working retail, not restaurants.

[RaggedyAnn]

I do believe that would be worth a new thread. I've got a few of my own, including one involving a bumble bee.