In a viral TikTok, an Olive Garden employee complains about the restaurant chain’s “never-ending” soup and salad deal, sparking controversy in the video’s comments section over a lack of tips for extra, unlimited service. The TikToker claims she was fired for the video.
The viral video, which has over 1.2 million views and was posted in June by TikToker Trinny (@soulless.bodyz), shows the TikToker in what appears to be an Olive Garden uniform, wearing a pin with the restaurant’s signature line: “We’re all family here.” In the TikTok, the worker shakes her head and rolls her eyes.
“If you work at olive garden i am so sorry,” the TikToker captioned the video. “We go through it because of you soup and salad mfs.”
@soulless.bodyz ♬ Lights – Em1r
Olive Garden, an Italian-American restaurant chain, offers a “never-ending” soup, salad, and breadstick deal for dine-in customers. However, it seems the deal is a pain point for some servers—who have to dole out multiple rounds of messy soups and salads without extra tips.
Users in the comments section debated the deal, with some describing their alleged similar experiences on the job at Olive Garden.
“Olive Garden was by far the worst job I’ve ever had,” one user shared.
“Especially lunch shifts. and the $9.99 lunch menu got my wallet hurting,” another described.
“!!!! [heartbreak emoji] 2.00$ tips,” the creator of the TikTok responded.
Many users commented they love the soup and salad at Olive Garden but said they try not to order too many rounds, afraid of burdening servers, whose wages mostly rely on tipping.
“This is what i get but i only eat 2 and tip the bill,” someone commented.
“I get soup and salad but never ask for refills on anything but the bread,” another described.
Some users challenged the TikToker, leaving comments complaining about bad service from servers at Olive Garden. However, the TikToker was quick to respond defending herself, describing punitive systems in place at Olive Garden which limit a server’s ability to please customers.
“THEN BRING ME MORW THEN 3 breadsticks at a TIME!!!!!,” one user complained.
“We get in trouble if we do more then one breadstick per guest [tired face emoji],” the TikToker alleged in a reply. “We also get written up if we have a walk out.”
The TikToker also alleged in the comments section she was fired for posting her TikTok and voicing her concerns about the soup and salad deal.
“POV I GOT FIRED BECAUSE OF THIS,” the TikToker commented on her video.
In response to the claim that the TikToker was fired, many users were shocked and angry.
“We’re all family here, yeah right,” one user commented in response.
“More like a dysfunctional family,” another replied.
“I PROMISE ITS FOR THE BEST there’s so many better serving jobs out there,” a third commented in support.
Update 8:30am CT, July 13: @soulless.bodyz called working at Olive Garden “very chaotic” and said many customers who ordered the soup and salad tipped low to nothing at all in an interview with the Daily Dot.
“The worst part about it was the people who would get 4 to 5 bowls of soup would be the people who wouldn’t tip nothing at all. … We have amazing servers and we can not pay our bills like this,” the TikToker said.
The TikToker said they were terminated over the TikTok and that their co-workers, including one of their managers, were “sad” when they found out.
The Daily Dot reached out to @soulless.bodyz via both TikTok comment and Instagram message as well as to Olive Garden’s media contact via email. Neither replied in time for the publication of this article.
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