Have you ever been tempted to walk away with a nice piece of glassware from a bar or restaurant?
That Stella Artois chalice you got served in can be quite a temptation, but the pilferage of bar glasses (not to mention plates, salt shakers, and other items) is a serious problem for restaurant and bar owners.
And one owner has had just about enough of it. CC Huo (@ryanandcc) took to the TikTok account he shares with his partner to discuss the problem and the damage it does. The video, posted Sunday, already picked up over 2.5 million views.
Huo stitched his video to another TikTok by a couple who revealed the husband’s penchant for stealing plates from restaurants. The stitched video states, “Every time we go to a fancy restaurant and he likes a dish he will ask for a box and steal it.”
Huo added on-screen text, “Rant Incoming,” over the footage.
“OK, this is the kind of [expletive] that’s infuriating,” Huo tells his viewers.
“So we have very nice glasses at our bar. They’re like $20 each. They’re very nice. They provide a very good experience. But, recently, we were like, ‘We should stop buying these very nice glasses,’” he claims, “because people have been [expletive] taking them.”
“So if you need to hear this, hear this,” he continues. “If you take people’s stuff if you take small businesses’ stuff, you have no class.”
Glassware pilferage is more common than people think
Some of Huo’s viewers were shocked by the revelation that the problem exists.
“I GASPED I had no idea ppl did this,” one wrote in the video’s comment section.
Many viewers came forward with their own experiences.
Christy (@christylong40) wrote, “As a restaurant owner, 1000% agree. The amount of bowls and silverware we have to replace monthly is crazy.”
“I ordered a cocktail and it came in an absolutely adorable pineapple glass and I asked where I could buy them. The bartender thanked me for not just taking it,” another viewer added.
Another added, “Friend owned a bar. Had to start buying glasses at dollar tree bc they were stolen so often.”
@ryanandcc Guys pls dont take shit from small businesses. It’s not cool #barowners #smallbusiness ♬ original sound – Ryan & CC
Combating glassware pilferage
A 2015 post by the craft cocktail blog A Bar Above posited ideas on combating glassware pilferage that ran from the sublime to the ridiculous.
“If you catch someone swiping a glass away, turn the lights up, turn the music down, and make sure everyone can see and hear what you’re about to do. Making these guys look like the idiots they are is actually really effective,” the post suggested.
They also proposed using gigantic glasses, putting a deposit on glassware, and even using exploding glasses.
One commenter on Huo’s post described one bar’s alleged solution to the problem. Mk_13 (@morganxo__13) wrote, “I went to a tiki bar, and on the receipt, it tells you that [the] card on file will be charged $20 if you steal the glass. I think they’re numbered on the bottom so they know who had which glass.”
Bottom line: Think about it before you walk out of the hot new watering hole with a “souvenir” glass you’ve stolen in your pocket. Not only does it cost the bar, but it may end up with the bar deciding to do away with the nice glasses altogether.
In December of last year, Alameda tiki bar Forbidden Island owner Michael Thanos told the San Francisco Standard he would have to take the bar’s signature Fugu cocktail off the menu if patrons kept pocketing the puffer fish-shaped mug the drink is served in.
“It will be one less cool thing we have to offer,” he said.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Huo via TikTok messenger for further comment.
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