Chili’s server eats a ‘mid salad’ that was going to get thrown out anyway. Then she gets fired for it: ‘He was looking for a reason’
All jobs have fired people. Sometimes it’s over something we perceive as minor or it can be unanimously major. Usually, terminations occur unexpectedly without a warning. Other times, there’s a sign in a sense of dread lurking in the horizon and looms over us, waiting for confrontation. After eating a salad meant for the garbage, one Arizona-based woman she shared why she felt an impending termination from Chili’s.
As she is sitting in her car, TikToker Peyton Williams (@peyytonwilliamss) dishes the details. “I have been officially fired from Chili’s for eating half a house salad on shift,” she says. “So, this video is just me speaking my truth.” Next, she shares how it all unfolded.
Chili’s Story Time
“So, last night, I picked up a shift for this morning and I decided to go in,” she begins her story. “Everything’s normal. Shift starts out going pretty good.”
Suddenly, hunger started to kick in, so she scoured for anything in her line of vision.
“Me and my co-worker both see this tiny little salad and we’re both like, ‘[Expletive] I could really use a bag of free chips,'” the content creator recalls.
Eventually, the hunger became overwhelming, leading Williams to narrow her sight on the salad. “It’s extra. Our screen is clear. So, that means that the food is not going to anybody. It is gonna get thrown away,” she explains.
Initially, nobody minded her chowing down on it. “So, I’m eating the salad, everything’s chill. My manager walks by a few times and sees me eating this salad. Does not say anything,” she shares.
Things Take A Turn
“A few minutes later, I don’t know if he got a bad text from someone or what really pushed his buttons but he comes over to me and he’s like, ‘Peyton, what did I say about people eating extra food? Did you ring that in?’” the content creator recalls the manager saying. “And I was like, ‘No, it was extra food.’”
Although the manager had been cracking down on eating soups and chips, she wasn’t aware that this applied to extra food.
“He’s like, ‘I’ve literally been saying for the past three weeks that no extra food can be eaten,’” Williams recounts him stating, adding, “‘So, you can either ring that salad in and pay for it or you can just leave right now.’”
Once the manager stormed away, Williams’ co-workers urged her to fork the money for it, but she decided to wait it out for several reasons.
“I’m already getting no shifts a week. If anything, I could be -$6.50. I’m not gonna pay for the extra salad that I didn’t know I couldn’t eat. We are normally allowed to eat any extra food because it’s not going to anyone,” she says. “I’m not even gonna bring up the salad unless he brings it up.”
From there, the content creator carried on with her day. “I stayed on the shift and as I was leaving, I did all my sidework, and he said nothing about the salad,” she says. “I’m gonna assume everything’s fine.”
When Williams told her roommates about the situation, they reassured her. But her instincts told her differently. “I feel like something’s gonna happen,” she says.
Was Her Premonition Correct?
Then, a chain of events caused the content creator’s stomach to drop, seemingly confirming her thoughts. “I’m at this event and I get a call from my manager not the salad one but I kind of just knew at that point and declined the call cause I was busy,” she shares. “I look at one of my hot [schedules] and it says, ‘[employee invalid].’”
“So, now I’m in the car making this before I call her back because I already know what she’s gonna say. I’m gonna have a respectful conversation with her,” the content creator explains. “I don’t think I’m gonna get my job back. I don’t really want my job back.”
Shortly after the missed call, Williams believed the manager’s message was an indication. “She says, ‘Please call me. It’s about an incident that happened earlier,’ which I feel is self-explanatory,” she explains.
Before wrapping up, Williams ended the clip, candidly weighing the positives and negatives. “I have loved the past two years at Chili’s. I’ve really gained a lot of good experience and I’m really sad that it had to end this way. I really enjoyed the people I’ve met there,” she says. “I’m really sad that all of a sudden, management went to crap, my ex general manager these past two months has changed, shifted everything and honestly, as an employee, it’s really hard to keep up with the new rules.”
“For legal purposes, everything I said in this story has been false and is a parody,” she concludes.
What Do Viewers Think?
The video garnered over 32,000 views, sparking debate in the comments section about who was to blame. Some pinned this on the manager.
“If he was taking your shifts, he was looking for a reason to fire you. It can’t really be over a salad, that’d be crazy!” one viewer commented.
“Nah that’s called [a power] trip! If I’m starving hungry then I’m going to eat. If there’s dead food that’s going to be thrown out, then we are literally encouraged to eat it like???” another stated.
However, others believed she did have a warning.
“I’m confused so you knew they were cracking down on the food thing and yet you still ate it while your manager was there…..that’s a very interesting choice,” one commenter remarked.
“I think the warning was him telling you to pay for it?” a second suggested.
What Does Chili’s Do With Leftover Food?
Each location is different; therefore, their policies on food waste may vary. Some may discard remaining food during or at the end of the day, while others may be more lenient and permit employees to eat it.
Since Williams is located in Arizona, the locations in that state allegedly partnered with an organization called Waste Not, according to a Facebook post from 2019. The post reads: “By partnering with Waste NOT, an organization that brings leftover food to nonprofits, Chili’s helps feed those in need.” Whether they’re still currently partners is unknown.
@peyytonwilliamss I WILL NOT BE SILENCED #chilis #unemployed #halfhousesalad #justiceforme ♬ original sound – peyton
Moreover, Williams has not disclosed her current employment status with Chili’s. That is why The Mary Sue reached out to her via Instagram direct message and TikTok comment as well as Chili’s parent company Brinker International, Inc. via press email.
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