32 Food Service Workers Describe The Awkward, Ridiculous Dates They’ve Waited On

10. You fucked up

I once saw a date go straight to hell before it even started.

Guy comes into the bar at lunch time, orders a beer for himself and a glass of wine “For my girl, she’s on the way.” The guy was in his mid thirties, but he was giddy as a school girl waiting for his girlfriend. Then all of the sudden I notice he has a look of fear and dread smacked all over his face. So I ask him if everything is ok, and he responds:

“My girlfriend is gonna be here any minute and my wife’s best friend just sat down over there in the dining room.”

11. Pay it forward

A few years ago I was waiting tables at a big chain restaurant and I had a couple come in with their newborn baby sometime around 9:00pm. Right off the bat, I could tell that they were having a rough day. They bickered in whispers across the table until finally the girl got up, grabbed the baby, and stormed out of the restaurant. The poor boyfriend just sat their with his head in his hands, looking completely deflated.

I headed to get the guy some to-go boxes and a customer who had been sitting nearby waves me over. The customer says he just saw the movie “Pay it Forward” and he’s inspired. He pays the couples’ entire bill and leaves without recognition or thanks.

I’ll never forget the change in the deserted boyfriend’s expression when I told him about the kindness of that stranger, I’m pretty sure it was the only good thing that happened to him that day.

12. Made me sick to my stomach

I know this isn’t a restaurant story, but it’s relevant.

I used to work at a store where I sold wedding gowns. Every bride/couple we met had a different story. You could usually tell the people who were serious and if the fiance/family came with the bride, you could really get a feel for the relationship.

Anyway, a typical appointment lasts from one to two hours depending on how many dresses they want to try on. So, this one particular Saturday, we were having a sale. So it was going to be very crowded. Each consultant worked with one MAYBE two brides, but no more than that. Once you were done with a customer, you’d get assigned another one. So, my first bride of the day is a customer who I’d worked with before – let’s call her Jane.

It’s not unusual for a bride to come in and plan on coming back with friends or family to give a second opinion. So I get her set up in the fitting room and start pulling dresses for her. We try on all of the dresses she’d previously tried on and she was still indecisive. So I ask her what she likes, what she doesn’t like, etc. and go pull more dresses.

Two hours pass. Then three. Then four. She just wasn’t making a decision. She kept calling her fiance and talking to him. I only heard her end of the conversation and, while there weren’t any obvious alarm bells, I did think the conversations were odd. They didn’t seem happy and excited.

So we keep trying on different dresses and veils. My manager even came in to see if she could assist. Nope. I’d been on my feet all day – no lunch break, no bathroom break – all working with this one bride. Finally, after hour 7, her fiance shows up. They FINALLY pick a dress.

I get the dress and veil information and take them to the cash register.

Jane and her fiance stand at the register and – in the time it took to walk over to the register, there was palpable tension. I just went about going through the process because I didn’t know what else to do.
After one minute of the tensest silence I’d ever sat through, he turns to Jane and blurts “I can’t do this.”

She just stares at him. I “become busy” with something behind the counter, but am totally right there. Jane starts crying and says, “What?”

Her fiance says “I can’t do this. I don’t want to marry you.” And he leaves. Jane and I are left standing there, I’m not entirely sure what to say, I ask if she’d like some tissue and she just shakes her head no and leaves.

Easily the most awkward breakup I’ve witnessed.

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