A user on TikTok has sparked discussion after sharing an experience she had at a restaurant.
In a clip with over 4.9 million views, TikTok user Kelly Murphy (@kellymurphy92) shows a server bringing a plate containing fries to a table. When the server sets it down, fries slide off of the plate, prompting a reaction from the server.
“Slippery suckers! I’m sorry,” the server says, using her hands to push and lift the customer’s fries back onto the plate.
It is at this point Murphy reveals she was supposed to get sweet potato fries, to which the server responds by saying, in part, “That sucks,” before bringing her meal back to the kitchen to fix the order.
Commenters were immediately divided about the server’s decision to put the items back on the customer’s plate with her hands.
Many were opposed to the idea.
“Why is she touching your food,” said a user. “I’m literally a waitress too.”
“NOT GRABBING THEM AND PUTTING THEM BACK,” added another.
“I’m a waitress and this is WILD,” detailed a third. “I would understand that initial reaction but she just kept picking up and piling on there.”
Some suspected that this was a scheme on the part of the server.
“Lol I know her plan. That’s her lunch now,” stated a user.
Others with experience in the server industry claimed that the aforementioned idea of a server sabotaging an order so they can eat it is relatively common.
“Girl you aren’t kidding. I used to accidentally make a peach pie sunday,” shared a commenter.
“Hahaha I used to ‘forget’ to press no onions on my favorite salad when people ordered it,” revealed a second.
StateFoodSafety, a website offering food safety certifications, has several pages about the do’s and don’ts of handling customer food. One of their “don’ts” is touching the customer’s meal.
“It might sound obvious, but this means that as a server, you should not touch certain parts of dishes or utensils that will be used by guests. While you will have to touch dishes eventually if you are going to serve your guests, there are definite guidelines on where and how to hold them,” the site reads. “Think of it this way: if your guest’s mouth or food is going to come in contact with an item, your hand shouldn’t.”
That said, some said that Murphy shouldn’t worry too much about the server’s behavior.
@kellymurphy92 “That sucks” 😂 (we did not eat) #funny #viral #serverlife #restaurant #humor ♬ original sound – Kelly Murphy
“I’m more worried about the table than the hands. I see how some folks clean,” wrote a commenter.
Thankfully, Murphy says she didn’t have to find out about whether the food was safe to eat. In the comments, she reveals that their table “nicely” walked out soon after the interaction.
We’ve reached out to Murphy via Instagram DM.