“They Think the Chefs Are Always Drunk” — Restaurant Workers Reject Stereotypes in Viral Clip

A group of restaurant workers took it upon themselves to lampoon their own stereotypes in a viral TikTok that's accrued over 1.9 million views on the popular social media application.

Chef Chris Paul (@inkd_owl) handed a camera over to several restaurant staff members to dispel certain rumors about what it's like working at their restaurant.

The video was initially framed as a comical skit where food service workers pushed back against the stereotypes of their profession through a series of various vignettes. However, the final vignette contains a twist of M. Night Shyamalan proportions.

"I work at a restaurant it doesn't always mean we're hooking up with the kitchen staff," a server says at the top of the video before the clip cuts to another worker, a tall dude with a beard who calls out a particular habit of the chef who runs the kitchen."

"I work at a restaurant where Chef thinks I lost a dish because I called for another one," he says, walking away from the camera. Next up is a male server rocking a mustache who keeps the West Wing style walking and talking going: "I work at a restaurant where the chef sometimes yells at me for not running food."

"I work in a restaurant where sometimes I get in trouble for eating fries," another female server in the clip says, before the video transitions to someone else who, while shrugging her shoulders says, "I work in a restaurant where chef gets mad at me for a customer ordering a wrong dish."

Next up is a gentleman who also seems to have an issue with the place's chef, "I work at a restaurant where the chef thinks that I sat the whole restaurant on purpose."

Another server shifted the focus away from this chef that everyone seems to have an issue with (or he has an issue with everybody) and he instead goes off on a specific consumer behavior: "I work at a restaurant where customers ask for stronger drinks without paying more."

There's probably a lot of restaurants like that, honestly.

However, it didn't take long until staff were back at pointing out another one of Chef's behaviors they thought were worth mentioning: "I work at a restaurant where the chef yells at me cause I spill s--- in the walk in."

In case you were wondering if anyone was going to run out of things to call out the mysterious "Chef" the next person up in the clip kept the Chef references going: "I work at a restaurant where the chef yells at me for not telling the guest all of his 30 specials."

"I work at a restaurant where Chef says I'm his favorite," a female server wearing makeup says while looking into the camera. "I work at a restaurant chef gets mad at me when there's too many modifications," another employee said of the restaurant's head food-crafter.

Next up was the hostess for the business, who a bit of attention towards the servers themselves: "I work in a restaurant where servers get mad at me for triple seating them."

Finally, it's one of the chefs turn to talk: a man with arm-sleeve and neck tats walks and talks on camera stating: "I work in a restaurant where they think chefs are always drunk, but we're not."

The same chef offers more of his two cents on the business dynamic: "I work in a restaurant where it's actually opposite of everything we said in this video."

And if that's the case then, well then that means not only is chef hammered, but he's got an awesome attitude about modifications, and servers are definitely hooking up with kitchen staff.

It turns out that there were some TikTokers who watched the video who knew that employees were being cheeky about what they were saying from the get go. Like this one person who wrote: "From the first one i was calling cap"

And then there were folks who chimed in with their own personal workplace quirks: "I work at a restaurant where they have this thing that if you're good at your job you get to do everyone else's work," they penned.

Someone else remarked that there may be something to the accusations that folks are sleeping with each other on the job: "I work at a restaurant where my boss makes sure I have the same shift as her to clap at night when we close"

And another person discussed the dichotomy of folks who want to make money but don't want to actually have to work in order to get it: "I work at a restaurant where everyone complains about the lack of hours but only wants to go home after clocking in"

How do you feel about the restaurant's video? Do you feel like their rejection of stereotypical food service worker behaviors are valid? Or do you feel like chef is 100% right about the opposite of what they're saying to be true?