If you haven’t heard of it already, Whisper is an app that lets you share secrets anonymously with millions of other users. In the app, users can share their own secrets or explore the posts of others.
Thanks to Whisper’s website, we found a number of secret restaurant confessions made by hosts, servers, and even kitchen workers. Here’s what we found:
1. “Confession. I work in a kitchen, and I never wash my hands.”
This statement would make germ phobic guests run straight out of your restaurant and never look back. Handwashing can prevent foodborne illness and allergen cross-contamination, both of which are necessary to keeping your doors open. Make sure your staff is washing their hands!
2. “I work in a kitchen and once I spat in someone’s food and went out into the restaurant to watch them eat it.”
We’ve all heard a chef grumble about a ridiculous number of substitutions and the absurdity of guests basically making their own meal, but this statement goes a bit too far. Ick!
3. “I work at a restaurant and when I drop rolled silverware on the floor I pick it up again like no one saw. We are supposed to replace the napkins but I never do.”
At the end of the night, buckets of silverware are the last thing anyone wants to do, but there should be a consequence for laziness. It’s called sick or grossed-out guests.
4. “I work as a dishwasher and when I have nothing to do or the waitresses are busy I bus tables; I’m often very tempted to steal their tips.”
This statement doesn’t come as a surprise at all. Dishwashers make next to nothing and it’s one of the most important and thankless jobs in our industry.
5. “Finding dead bugs in the ice. I almost threw up.”
No one wants a fly in their drink, and when it gets busy dead bugs are easy to miss. Make sure ice is covered at all times to prevent this serious mishap.
6. “I’m a host at a restaurant. I told these people they couldn’t sit in a certain section because there was no server. I just didn’t feel like walking that far.”
This one is pretty funny, but also a bit frustrating. With all of the things to keep track of, making sure the host/hostess is seating guests fairly should be the last thing on your mind.
7. “I eat off of customers’ plates before serving them. I’m a waiter.”
Batting a fry from a basket before it leaves the line isn’t unheard of. But make sure your servers are bringing ALL of a guests’ food to the table because that constitutes stealing.
Any one of these confessions would make a manager cringe. Perhaps the downtick in the restaurant industry has more to do with restaurant guests reading Whisper stories and choosing to eat at home instead! What do you think?