A server claimed in a now-viral video that, due to “s**t” management, she recently had to get behind a griddle and cook.
The video, posted to TikTok last week by boofketamine (@boofketamine), has garnered over 360,000 views and hundreds of comments from other purported restaurant workers who said they’ve suffered similar experiences.
“POV [point of view] you’re a server but all the cooks quit [because] management is s**t and you have to start cooking your [table’s] food,” read the video’s text overlay.
In the clip, the server, who is joined by only one other person in the restaurant’s kitchen, smirks at the camera while she flips pancakes.
anatoliy_gleb/istock
“The way I would not do that and just let the management suffer as the business fails,” one commenter said of the video.
In response, boofketamine said: “[I] need my tips though.”
Restaurant Labor Shortage
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the restaurant industry has struggled to retain workers. In November of last year, for example, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 4.5 million Americans quit their jobs, the highest number recorded since the bureau began collecting data in 2000. About 1 million of those who quit were restaurant and hotel workers, said Insider.
According to multiple reports, workers have left the restaurant industry for a myriad of reasons, including “concerns about hostility or harassment from customers” and low wages.
Fortunately, the industry’s workforce is slowly recovering. However, eating and drinking establishments are still down 750,000 jobs—or 6.1 percent—from pre-pandemic levels, according to National Restaurant News.
To “survive” the labor shortage, Toast, a restaurant management company, advised restaurant owners to “double down on staff retention” by collecting feedback from employees and creating “action plans” based on that feedback. The company also encouraged business owners to create “out-of-the-box” hiring tactics and re-evaluate compensation and benefits packages.
“When restaurant employees feel supported by their employer through great pay and benefits, they’re happier and can do their best work,” Toast said.
Viewers React
Many of boofketamine’s viewers were frustrated by her video, saying they’ve suffered similar experiences in their serving jobs.
“I’m a server at IHOP and I have done this about seven times for the same reasons 10/10 do NOT recommend,” maddiee wrote.
“Girl I feel you that’s why I quit my job lmao,” satoria shared.
“This used to happen to me…so frustrating,” one user said.
Others simply encouraged her to quit.
“Yeah no, this is unacceptable get a new job and put in your two weeks,” daddie lewis encouraged.
Namis TTS added: “You should quit…what the hell?”
In response to those urging her to leave her job, boofketamine said: “There [are] 1000 things I have going on in my life [and I can’t] stop and get a new job at the moment,” adding that she receives higher tips for telling customers she cooked their food.
Newsweek has reached out to boofketamine for comment.