Customer Throws Cheesesteak at Employee, Own Video Leads to Identification
A customer who threw a cheesesteak at an employee at a Philadelphia restaurant was identified after posting a video of the incident himself. The man faces harassment charges.
A Philadelphia man has been charged with harassment for allegedly throwing a cheesesteak in an employee’s face at Pat's King of Steaks, a historic cheesesteak restaurant in the city. The incident was captured on the restaurant's security cameras.
The viral video shows a customer, holding a camera, receiving his food through a window. After an exchange of words with the employee, the customer throws the food at the employee’s face before fleeing the scene. The employee, identified as Tom Francano, is a manager at the restaurant and has worked there for 47 years.
Frank Olivieri, the restaurant's owner, told Inc. Magazine he believes the customer intended to provoke the incident for a video. "It was solidified for us at that instant that he posted the video that was him," Olivieri said. The customer’s decision to upload a video of the event ultimately allowed the restaurant to identify him.
Olivieri had initially offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the customer's identification. The incident has also drawn attention to issues surrounding influencer culture and customer behavior.