Wife Says She’s ‘Not Mad’ Her Husband Steals Plates & Dishes When He Goes Out To Eat — But People Say It’s Only OK To Do At Chain Restaurants
More often than not, many restaurant owners have to find the money to replace stolen goods, especially plates and silverware.
Bobex-73 | Shutterstock A woman's husband's "beige flag" has caused a stir online about proper restaurant etiquette, including whether or not people should steal from these establishments.
In a TikTok video, a content creator named Gianna Caye admitted that she doesn't think there's anything wrong with the fact that her husband will sometimes steal silverware and dinnerware from restaurants if he likes them.
Caye said she's 'not mad' her husband steals plates and dishes from restaurants when he goes out to eat.
In Caye's video, she wrote on overlay text that her husband's not-quite red flag, but also not a true green flag, was that every time they go out to a "fancy restaurant," he leaves with a dish that he likes and wants in their home. "He will ask for a box and steal it."
Inside the leftover box that he received during their last meal out was mac and cheese from the restaurant, still in the cast iron skillet that the restaurant served it in. Caye's husband didn't seem perturbed, and neither did Caye, who admitted that she didn't see any problem with his habit.
In the comments section, people agreed that they've done the exact same thing, with one TikTok user writing, "I'm glad I'm not the only one," while another user added, "If the meal is over $50 per person, dishes included."
Others pointed out that they only steal from big chain restaurants, like Applebees, Olive Garden, or The Cheesecake Factory, and tend to avoid doing the same for small businesses or family-owned restaurants. This seems to be a recurring opinion, especially when it comes to retail stores as well.
Will Dee, a 26-year-old restauranteur from California, told Business Insider that diners have swiped everything from Moscow mule mugs to steak knives from his bars and restaurants. "It's the nature of the business," he told the publication, adding that he estimates his restaurant loses around $10,000 annually from customers who can't resist leaving with beer glasses, cutlery, and plates.
A woman argued that this behavior ends up hurting food service industry workers.
In another TikTok video, directly responding to Caye and her husband's hot take, a woman named Carin explained that she doesn't understand the restaurant stealing trend.
She pointed out that, in the end, that kind of behavior only hurts servers and other food service industry workers.
"Firstly, because they often get blamed when things get stolen for not paying enough attention or watching closely enough and catching somebody doing it," Carin said. "Secondly, if things are stolen too often, management starts looking suspiciously upon employees, and it's not a good dynamic."
Carin claimed that people assume fancy restaurants will just have enough money to replace things that are stolen, but it's a lousy argument.
Fancy restaurants spend a lot of money on maintaining their appearances to ensure guests have a luxurious experience. So, people just taking things once their meal is over are not only selfish but also depriving others of the opportunity to have that same dining experience.
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Stealing from restaurants only ends up hurting the employees and business in the end, especially if it's a small/local restaurant. Servers already have to deal with customers refusing to tip, and then facing accusations and suspicions from their managers on behalf of other people only makes their jobs that much harder.
Mathias Van Leyden, owner of Loulou Petit Bistro, which opened in Manhattan in 2019, told Business Insider that he has certain protocols for his servers to make sure that dishes don't go missing once a customer leaves. "People just take stuff. It's sad because we have to always get new stuff and it makes the place not as nice for the next people who visit us."
"And it's just kind of annoying that we have to replace stuff all the time," Van Leyden said, adding that he's had to resort to bringing dishes back to his apartment when he notices they're becoming scarce. "When they're low, I bring them straight from my apartment to the restaurant, which is a block away."
Before taking anything from a restaurant, people should maybe take the time to think about how this will affect the employees who work there, and more often than not, restaurant owners and managers have to take money out of their own pockets to replace these things.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.