Restaurant worker trashes kitchen before quitting, sparking debate on how workers are treated

At a time when toxic workplaces are getting exposed like never before, images of a kitchen trashed by a worker prior to quitting his job have come to light this week. The video posted on TikTok by @dirtdawg420 shows food, plates and other utensils on the floor of the kitchen. The person who posted the video revealed that the worker had quit having had enough at the restaurant. "So my expo lost his mind and threw every plate at us cooks and went out with a bang!!" they wrote, using the hashtags #cheddarsscratchkitchen #lostit #badnight #restaurauntlife and #shitshow among others, reported DailyDot. Food expeditors are often referred to as 'expos' and act as the link between the kitchen staff and the customers. They are responsible for the smooth flow of orders and efficient delivery of service.

This food expeditor appears to have had enough at the restaurant and quit with a bang. They added that the staff had nearly left but 'the servers cleaned it up and we got right back to it.' The video went viral garnering close to 9 million views and 254k likes. The comments section was divided with some criticizing the worker for being inconsiderate to his fellow employees while many said the grind of work combined with lack of pay and benefits during a pandemic is enough to crush anyone's spirit. "Doesn’t matter how upset a person is…there’s NO reason to treat people that way and make it even harder for them to work," wrote on person. Another TikTok user wrote, "Poor dude, must have been overworked and finally lost it. I feel bad for who has to clean it all up." The incident appears to have happened at Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, according to the hashtag and the name on a worker's T-shirt from the video.

"This what happen when management doesn’t care if you need an extra hand when ur extra stressed at work. Sometimes it’s not the workers fault," reasoned one user. "Thats why we need to treat employees better," wrote one person and the video's creator confirmed they were all underpaid and overworked. "Yeah, we are definitely under appreciated and underpaid." One person who once served that role said it can be incredibly stressful. "I was an expo and tbh I cried alot from stressing because the managers would watch me struggle and not help during a rush," they wrote. Another expo also weighed in on the incident. "I was kitchen expo and it’s stressful when cooks won’t give u what ur missing & waiters are pushing for their plates. The person who posted the video also said the managers need to help out more. "It happens alot and it sux, managers need to be there to help," they noted. After one of the users commented that the expo must have been an entitled millennial, @dirtdawg420 clarified that it was actually a 50-year-old worker.

There has been a fresh demand for better pay and benefits since the pandemic started after businesses showed little to no care for workers who put their lives the line during the pandemic to keep them running. This has resulted in workers in major corporations unionize to demand better pay and benefits. After nearly three months of strike, Kellogg's union members ratified a new contract for better "wages and benefits, with immediate, across-the-board wage increases and enhanced benefits for all." 

"We are pleased that we have reached an agreement that brings our cereal employees back to work," said CEO Steve Cahillane, confirming the end of the strike. "We look forward to their return and continuing to produce our beloved cereal brands for our customers and consumers." The union also said it had secured a pledge of no plant closings through October 2026, "a clear path to regular full-time employment" and a "significant increase in the pension multiplier."