In the latest episode of the TikTok series that we’re dubbing “Gossip Grill: True Confessions of a Steakhouse Server,” the server shared how his manager let hundreds of dollars of food go to waste for no reason.
In case you’re not familiar with Cade Alex (@cadealex) and his work saga, Alex is a soon-to-be graduate student who took a job at a fancy steakhouse to hold him over financially until he goes back to school.
But this job has been more dramatic than he expected, so he’s documenting it on TikTok. (Alex says it’s like a real-life episode of the hit series The Bear, though we’d hope Carmy wouldn’t intentionally treat his people badly.)
So far, Alex has shared how management refuses workers a meal break despite nine-hour shifts (which is illegal in the state he’s in) and makes them park in the mall across the street so rich patrons don’t have to see workers’ regular-looking cars.
And he continues to be appalled by how the place is run.
@cadealex NO ONE LOOKS THEIR AGE IN THE KITCHEN!!!!😵💫😵💫😭🫢 #job #jobs #jobsearch #jobtips #jobinterview #jobforme #jobless #minimumwage #serverlife #serverproblems #servertiktok ♬ original sound – Cade Alex
Outraged by food waste
“Every freaking day is a new adventure with gossip and tea and what the f*ck,” Alex said in his latest TikTok. “…Everyday is a sh*tshow adventure.”
In a recent video, Alex explained that the steakhouse is on DoorDash, but since it’s a rather fancy and expensive place they don’t tend to get a lot of delivery orders (maybe three a day).
That day, he said a person placed a huge $300 order that included burgers, pasta, mashed potatoes, and a whole lot of other fixings, but they didn’t show up. Closing time was creeping up, and the food order was still sitting there, so Alex suggested that the girl who ran the to-go counter take the food home. She was too scared to do it and break the rules, so Alex said he’d take it with him.
But then his “nasty” manager showed up.
“No one came to get this?” she purportedly asked. “Then it’s going in the garbage.”
According to Alex, she took the bag full of food and shoved it in the trash can.
That wasn’t going to deter Alex, who planned to sneak the trash bag out with him.
“Not only do I not like food waste, but also I’m starving and they don’t feed us on the job and like that is so wasteful,” he said.
But he said the manager quickly foiled his plans and poured garbage and sauce in the bag to ruin the perfectly good food.
“Girl, get a life. You think you’re so much better than us just cause you’re wasting food and can boss us around? Bye bitch,” Alex said.
Food waste in America
About 30% to 40% of food in the United States goes to waste, whether it’s due to it getting spoiled, damaged, or going unused due to overbuying, the United States Department of Agriculture reported. That’s about 133 billion pounds or $161 billion of food lost in one year.
Back in 2015, the USDA, along with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, set a goal to cut the nation’s food waste in half by 2030 by funding research, programs, and pushing forth policies to prevent food loss and waste, and increasing the recycling rate for all organic waste.
“Each year food produced in the United States ends up in landfills, instead of on American dinner tables. This waste hurts our economy, raises the cost of food, and contributes to climate pollution,” EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said in a press release.
There does seem to be some progress with an increase in private funding for food waste reduction solutions, public education, and the integration of AI—but there are no reports of widespread statistical changes.
Commenters were appalled at the manager’s actions, with one quipping, “I would’ve quit after that lmaooo,” to which Alex replied, “lol that’s the LEAST bad thing they’ve done.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Alex for comment via Instagram direct message.
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