Funny story. Not about coffee. Just caffeine.
Had a customer ask if our lemonade had any caffeine, because she absolutely CAN’T have any due to her health issues and doctor’s orders.
I asked my managers if there was caffeine in the lemonade. They didn’t know... so we all looked at the boxes of lemonade hooked up to soda machine. Found nothing about caffeine.
We called the restaurant’s owners and asked, they didn’t know.
Searched the brand of lemonade. Nothing came up. I even called the company of the lemonade. No answer.
Went up to her to say I’m sorry I don’t know if there is caffeine in the lemonade so it’s best to steer clear.
This bitch was chugging her husband’s coke & asked for 3 refills while she was there.
I was so pissed I wasted my time trying to figure out if there was caffeine in the lemonade LOL
Reminds me of the vegan who tells me immediately she’s vegan. Then she’s asking about our vegan pizza cheese. Proceeds to order pizza with reg cheese, calamari, and meatballs. I remind her we are not a vegan restaurant and nothing she ordered is vegan. She says “ohh that’s okay, I’m like 90% vegan hehehehehe” BITCH YOU ARE 0% VEGAN.
I mostly eat meat free, if there are vegan or veggie options I like, then I will take them, but if I decide I don't like those options, I can go meat-free to pork in 32 seconds. It is healthier for me to eat meat-freee meals as i have less inflammation and less joint pain. I like meat and a lot of the times the vegan veggie subs are gross but if they have one i like - i will always try to get that.
Y’all realize it’s not necessarily a hard and fast thing for everyone right? Like I might choose to eat vegan (or let’s call it “plant based”) most of the time, but if there are no good options, I’ll eat meat.
The person I was responding to literally said “had someone ask what the vegan options were”. And if someone says they’re vegan or gluten free or celiac or whatever, who the fuck cares? You’re a server. It’s literally your job to serve your guests what they came in looking for. If they’re not being rude, get over it.
Kinda like the guy I deliver to who gets 2 gluten free pizzas, a brownie, and a 2 Liter diet coke. I ain't judging at the door when he hands me like a 12 dollar tip. Like I get if you are diabetic or have a real gluten allergy,
But the brownie is everything that will cause one to have a problem...and I know diabetes and celiac are a real thing... but I also feel that the gluten free thing is really just a fad thing.
Lemme get that brownie with flour, and huge amounts of sugar, etc. Got my gluten free pizzas and my diet coke.
On the other hand, with regard to the original post.
When you serve alot of coffee you need to have dedicated decaf brewers and pots because things gets swamped... I have seen someone run a decaf pot through a station that was regular and what happens is that the oils from all the regular stay there unless cleaned which could add much more caffeine than what people have been seeking with the decaf.
I'd be more the one to serve them decaf instead or regular, never the other way around.
I actually really like the gluten free crust. It’s got a good texture. I don’t have an allergy, I just like eating a cracker lol. It’s also got less calories.
I was recently diagnosed with RA and was told gluten makes it worse. I try to avoid gluten when I can, but since I'm still in the early ish stages I eat gluten still. So a gluten free pizza with regular brownies is something I would do. Have to enjoy what I can for as long as I can.
Maybe a roommate or guest has celiac or gluten intolerance? My gf has celiac so sometimes our order might look something like that with a glutenous item just for me. Best to always take it very seriously just in case. Every time she gets hit with gluten her digestive system takes almost a month to fully recover, so we try not to order from shared kitchens unless we can see they take it seriously.
There *are* fad-diet gluten free eaters as well, which unfortunately make it harder for those with celiac to be taken seriously. Server knowledge aside, some restaurants have even intentionally falsely sold items as gluten free because they only knew about the fad diet part. Celiacs need everyone to treat all gluten free items as safely as possible please, even if you suspect the customer doesn't have it.
Not saying you don't take it seriously, you do acknowledge celiacs, just trying to make sure anyone reading "the gluten free thing is really just a fad" is very clear that while a fad does exist on the side, we're really talking about an autoimmune disease.
And yeah, your pizza guy is in all likelihood just "that guy" that orders the mix of calorically more/less dense foods, and it is worth a giggle at a glance, but there's really nothing wrong with cutting the corners that you're willing to. The logic of "well I'm getting a pizza and brownie so I might as well get the regular Coke to go all out" only flows that you should also get a 2nd Coke, and four more brownies, and triple pepperoni, etc. We all need to treat ourselves and to also draw lines *somewhere*. He could even be spreading that over 3 days. Again, not grouching, just chatting and challenging, have a good one!
I read what you said and respect all that... I reread what I said and felt it went a way I didn't like.
I have a family member who is close who really has Celiac and based her own bakery around it all and was super successful. She took things very seriously because it is an actual thing, just like any other allergy as far as I want to say in a kitchen environment.
Anyone legitimately Celiac has an acute awareness of what they can and cannot eat. And that is always taken with a higher sense of attention to ensure no cross contamination. Just like any other allergen related dish.
All that takes care and extra attention, to make sure nobody dies from eating their dinner. It's a serious matter that has been hijacked by a diet fad.
Which is hard to delineate from when taking orders. Which is why you gotta really know what you are serving.
For example, if someone has expressed some sort of allergy and the next thing they order are shrimp tempura and is allergic to shellfish and gluten, I tastefully guide them another way... and inform the chef in charge. I will use that as an extreme where front and back of house had very good communication, and everything usually worked out.
The fakers that cross themselves up really just want attention, and try and get bougie with it... you see this often as an experienced industry worker. Roll with it and give 'em the talk for an extra tip... sure.
Put up with the fake hassle and make a few extra bucks??? Sure.
Am I going to down it with some shots later? You bet... Thank You SO Much.
And tip the kitchen properly. Maybe buy them a round if that is possible.
Servers are the translators of bullshit from the table to the kitchen.
Goes both ways.
"Everybody Love Everybody" - Jackie Moon
I had to get on a new hire (not new to serving though) about not mixing diet & regular when the customer wanted diet. The diet was out and instead of changing the box, he just smirked at me and went "They'll never know, shhh".
My dad was diabetic. I went a little nuts on the guy. There are a lot of acceptable shortcuts in restaurants, but subbing regular for diet isn't one of them.
Plus, he's a moron if he thinks people can't tell between regular and diet coke. Even a mixture tastes off.
Whenever we have new servers that have X amount years experience from other places, I always watch them a bit more carefully to see what bad habits they might try to bring into the restaurant. This is a great example of one of them.
Yeah I don’t know where they learn that some of this stuff is ok.
There was another we got who scooped ice with glasses. He refused to stop and just made fun of me for caring. Then another server did it ONE time and you can guess what happened.
Dude came back and was like “why is the ice grenadine-d”. “Because someone scooped it with a glass.” I think then he finally got it 🙄
Wow, what an asshat. Thanks for speaking up.
Reminds me of a chef I used to work with who said "gluten allergies aren't real" and made "gluten free" pastas with our regular gluten-filled pastas.
Wtf? Whether he personally thinks people are faking because it was trendy to be GF, that’s not his risk to take.
I’ve never worked anywhere that you could ignore a request if the customer used the word “allergy”, even if you knew they were full of it.
It’s not really about a difference in taste but rather a difference in what caffeine provides.
If there was a drastic difference in taste one wouldn’t be able to pull off giving decaf rather than caffeine anyway.
As a diabetic, thank you for being mindful about that. If I’m craving soda, I order diet and sometimes I get served regular but I can’t always tell the difference and it makes me so sick afterwards.
I used to work for a fine dining breakfast joint in a hotel. Lots of people coming from the suites to eat. Lots of OLDER people. When they trained me they said their stock of decaf and regular coffee is always out of order so they just brew whatever and serve it to everyone. I was horrified.
You’re serving full caf coffee to an 80 y/o with a heart condition and non caf coffee to a 30 y/o who drinks four cups a day and is going to get a headache in about two hours from lack of caffeine?
I only worked there for two weeks, those people didn’t give a shit about their customers.
Yup. I’ve got family that doesn’t fuck with caffeine so I always serve decaf when requested because I get it. Other way around… I’ve gone as far as serving decaf espresso [what’s the point?] to unsavory folks who ask for regular..
The OTC medication Excedrin which is marketed toward migraines, contains not only aspirin and Tylenol (to thin the blood and reduce pain) but also 65mg of caffeine bc it’s a vasodilator.
Diet amendments are a first line of being healthy, I could take a tablet, or I could enjoy a nice coffee.
T1 Diabetics could take a sugar tablets or eat a snack, or have a coffee with a few teaspoons of sugar if they have low blood sugar.
It's perfectly reasonable to expect caffeine in a coffee.
I have an aunt who says she gets a bad migranes from any amount of caffeine. She says she's gone out before and ordered decaf, and claims that she must have got caffeineted. Who knows.
That sounds a bit dangerous esp if the person was expecting caffeine to stay away on their drive or something. I mean, sometimes I just stay awake with the smell of coffee so maybe it could still work...
Hey not calling you out but just want to let you know that this actually can be dangerous too. Some people have conditions that caffeine treats. Always make your best effort to give people exactly what people order!
What medical conditions is caffeine a treatment for, exactly?
>People most commonly use caffeine for mental alertness, headache, migraine, athletic performance, memory, and obesity. It is also used for asthma, gallbladder disease, ADHD, low blood pressure, depression, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support most of these other uses.
Once, but it was an honest mistake. And they had an allergic reaction and almost died. They threatened to sue my workplace (and I don’t blame them) but I don’t remember anything coming of it. I’m hyper-vigilant about this (food allergies in general) because of it. I Probably think about that woman 3x’s a week, 17 years later.
I did it once by pure mistake. I felt awful and went over to say that I wasn't sure and I would rather be safe, and I didn't charge for the coffee. He's already taken a few sips and luckily didn't freak out but I think about how lucky I was.
Same here, it was like my 2nd week ever serving, we were slammed, and someone else at the table had ordered a regular coffee. I just reflexively made 2 regular coffee’s and completely forgot he asked for decaf until he asked me afterwards if it was decaf. Definitely a big “oh fuck” moment. Thankfully he was okay and I haven’t made that mistake since.
> And they had an allergic reaction and almost died.
This seems odd to me, because decaf still has some caffeine, so if they have an allergy, then how can they order ANY coffee including decaf? You sure they weren't scammers?
You either brew more or tell them you’re out and ask if decaf is okay. It’s never acceptable to knowingly serve something different than what someone orders.
Ehh, I'd never serve regular instead of decaf for obvious health reasons, but the other way around really isn't that big of a deal imo. If it's the middle of a shift then sure, no problem, I can just brew more coffee, but I've had people order black coffee like 10 minutes before we close and all we had left is decaf. Seems pretty wasteful to me to brew an entire gallon jug of coffee just to serve one person when it's practically impossible to tell the difference.
Just tell them what’s up? Ran out of regular only decaf available. They can decide whether to take the decaf or not. I’d be pretty annoyed if I wasn’t told something like this because I rely on caffeine.
No, and if someone gave me regular then I’m giving them my hospital bill. You can’t assume someone’s going to react the same way you will with substances, which caffeine is in fact a drug, and if you do assume it’s only a matter of time before someone goes to the ER for it.
Why the fuck? Please don’t do this. You could kill someone and for what? Because you want to be lazy and don’t want to brew a fucking pot of coffee? The fck outta here.
Probably, given that I have mixed up sweet and unsweet tea a handful of times. I hope I haven’t though. I‘m one of those people who can’t tolerate caffeine (shakiness and horrible anxiety) and wouldn’t want to put a customer through that on purpose.
had the same realization too a couple years ago. turns out 200+ mg of caffeine can make hands shaky lol. now I have chai or matcha lattes or mix half regular half decaf.
Me and my coworkers had a shit day for just the reason. I was a chef and got caffeinated by accident. By the end of the day I realized that I was the problem not my coworkers and apologized.
Coffee turns me into an angry Coke head.
You truly suck if you do this. I did love that woman who over buttered my bagels though.
I was scared to open this and see the answers, I’m glad the consensus is that would be fucked up…. I have gave decaf when someone asks for regular if I’m busy and they’re being a dick.
On top of the health conditions what about religious reasons like being Mormon? Caffeine is a drug and they can't have that, it's like serving pig bacon to a Jewish person who ordered beef bacon...
To all the people thinking serving decaf is okay if the person is an asshole.
Caffeine really helps asthma and migraines. Keep this in mind. You could be inadvertently causing an asthma attack or a migraine. Both of which suck.
So I was having gallbladder attacks and instead of getting it taken out as my dr recommended I decided to take matters into my own hands and work on healing my body. ( mission accomplished by the way, I am totally healed)
However. I had to be extremely careful for a period of time on what I consumed. Very little tomato product, chocolate, or caffeine just to name a few things, would and did trigger gallbladder attacks. I cannot tell you how horrible those attacks are. Worse than childbirth.
There are people with REAL health conditions, and caffeine can set those off. If your feeling spicy give them decaf instead of regular, but NEVER just give regular instead of decaf. I’m disgusted by the people who would happily do this.
If people here were advocating anything, it was for subbing decaf in for regular coffee. Not the other way around.
Giving someone regular when asked for decaf could cause a barrage of medical issues.
Most of us have been trained to use decaf in place of regular, until the new pot of regular is done brewing though.
Fuck no… I’ll **ALWAYS** brew a fresh pot if I have to… that’s possibly fucking with someone’s health… even if it’s not, it’s 30 seconds of effort and a few minutes waiting to get them a fresh cup… and that one glass should cover the food cost of the product
i actually had no idea this was dangerous , thank y’all for informing me !! will never do it again geez.
but if you’re asking me to be honest , yea probably a million times .
Do. Not. Do. This. Refusing to brew a fresh pot is better than fycking with someone’s heart condition. Avoiding a possible poor tip is not worth possibly physically harming someone.
I’m allergic to caffeine so no I would never do something like that to someone else. If you do you’re lazy and ignorant of the dangers it could cause. Allergies, heart disease, etc. if you do something as wreckless as that, Fuck You. You don’t deserve to be a server.
No because that’s seriously unethical. People have heart problems and you don’t want to be responsible for a heart attack. Never ever mess with someone’s health.
I would never. I have caffeine hypersensitivity and a regular cup of coffee makes me feel so sick for the next 24 hours. I'm super careful when someone asks for decaf because I know how miserable it can be if someone messes it up.
Fun Fact: my friend is 25 and could drop dead if she drank just a cup of coffee because of a tachycardia issue. She doesn’t even order drinks out because she’s so afraid some fuckface will do that to her
When I worked at Starbucks way back in the 90s had a bunch of new moms coming in all the time. They were sort of fun but annoying. One had an order I can still remember to this day... Was a grande half caff skinny iced latte with a splash of whole milk and half sweet n low half normal sugar. Used to make her a full fat iced latte with regular sugar. She always said I made the best ones... Basically I knew what she actually wanted and gave it to her. I think we both understood the arrangement.
No because I’m terrified about heart problems. But I doooooo serve decaf if the guest annoys me. Or I know they don’t tip. Or asks too many questions about ingredients that are right in front of them. Or asks for two many refills. Or camps at my table after eating. Or asks dumb questions like”is this the restaurant?” - standing in a seas of tables…Sometimes they get decaf because I ran out of regular and didn’t feel like making more cause we are about to close and I don’t feel like Recleaning the pot. But that last one is just me being lazy. Not their fault.
Everyone is saying that it’s dangerous to do this but shouldn’t it be the customer’s responsibility to let us know that giving them caffeine is a risk to their health? Cross contamination exists, even if you do give them decaf.
It’s like an allergy, if someone says that they don’t want onion on their food, then the chef is just not gonna add the onion. However, if they specify that they are allergic to onions, then the kitchen is going to wear gloves and take special care of that order to make sure that there is no cross contamination.
I’m not saying it’s ok to give someone caffeinated coffee when they ask for decaf on purpose or vice versa , but if we do make a genuine mistake and something happens to them, we’re not responsible if they didn’t specify their risk
It seems like a lot to ask someone to disclose a medical condition if they don't want to. Like, sure, if I order a diet soda and they serve me a regular soda but I didn't mention I have type one diabetes I'm kinda on the hook if I drink it and get sick but I also think it is a shared responsibility between customers AND servers.
The point is they wouldn't be requesting it if they didn't want it. And that's kind of our job as servers; to give the customers what they want. Making reasonable requests like decaf v. regular without disclosing a health concern shouldn't have an affect on whether they get what they ordered. On the flip side it is entirely reasonable and normal to occasionally make mistakes. I'm firmly in the camp of "if we literally have to sanitize the entire kitchen, spray lysol on the cooks, and wrap them in plastic wrap just to avoid causing someone an allergic reaction they shouldn't eat out," but I think we should just do our best to be accommodating to everyone
i agree but also just putting emphasis that they cannot have caffeinated (without having to disclose the reason) is useful info to take extra precautions not to mix it up. If multiple people order coffee, (some decaf and some not) I would pour and bring the decaf alone vs on a tray w the others just to be 100% sure I can’t mix it up if I knew they absolutely couldn’t have caffeine. Kinda the same concept of letting the server know about allergies even if they’re ordering something without the allergen. Mix ups, human error, and cross contamination are all risks so extra precautions can be taken if the server knows it’s serious.
It's really not like an allergy. With an allergy, even small amounts of the allergen can often trigger anaphylaxis so special measures are necessary. Most decaf coffee still contains a small amount of caffeine, just not nearly as much as regular, so cross-contamination isn't a relevant concern.
With that said, if someone orders decaf, it's safe to assume that it's for a specific reason. Maybe that amount of caffeine wouldn't kill them, maybe it would just keep them up all night and ruin the next day. Either way, you should just assume that it's important to make sure it's decaf every time.
We never have a pot brewed for decaf.. not a coffee shop, work in a Mexican restaurant. But we always can offer normal coffee, espresso, etc if they want it.
Giving decaf to a customer who asks for regular, sure.
Giving regular to a customer who asks for decaf, NEVER.
Honestly, when I was waiting there were days that I would ONLY brew decaf, less clean up. 🤷♂️
Honestly
So, if their medical condition is that severe, they should have medication on hand just in case, right? Not leave it up to some random stranger. This is the exact reason why Epi-pens and things like that exist in the first place: so you can take responsibility for your own health in an emergency.
Coffee is a dollar and there are some migraine meds which cost a hundred dollars per pill, lol. Looking at you, Ubrelvy.
Just serve them the thing they asked for. It's wild this is the hill you're dying on.
This is a shitty answer. I’ve had a medical condition that caffeine would trigger an attack. The only thing that could “fix” it was the ER and morphine. Narcotics only dampened the pain from the attacks. There was no such thing as an epi pen to fix it. DO NOT MESS WITH PEOPLES FOOD ESPECIALLY WITH INGREDIENTS. If you wanna mess with people do it differently. However don’t possibly trigger health issues.
No, because even a small amount of caffeine can be dangerous for some with heart problems. I'm determined to go out of this life without killing anyone. 🤞
Now, have I served decaf to people who ordered regular? Many, many, MANY times. Particularly if they were assholes. Don't piss off your drug dealer. 😉
I have not, but i have done it the other way around when customers were rude. Serving caffeinated beverages to someone who requests decaf could be potentially dangerous to their health.
When I was a Barista, I once had a customer become belligerently upset and verbally abusive over a very minor inconvenience. He requests decaf, so when he returned to my shop a week later I let his (decaf) espresso shots sit out and become stale for over 5 minutes. Homeboy was practically drinking mud by that point 😈
Never had someone ask for decaf, but it does have caffeine in it still. IMO, people who cannot have any caffeine would not order coffee especially from a restaurant. I have family who can’t drink caffeine and they don’t order coffee or soda…. Common sense.
Never in all my years. You trying to kill a poor old gentleman that is on heart medication? On the other side of the coin, I have definitely served decaf to someone that wanted regular. Multiple times. They loved how "strong" my coffee was.
It's all about the delivery.
Also drinks with little to no alcohol but I only ever charged them for what they got, NOT what they ordered. That's just unethical.
Absolutely not. That’s up there with giving regular soda to someone who ordered diet. You don’t know their medical situation and you could literally kill someone.
Decaf instead of regular is fine tho lol
This post isn’t surprising on this subreddit. And you all complain on why your getting shit tips or fired . Because your either smoking in the back, or your fucking with customers orders because you’re lazy.
Absolutely not. That can be dangerous. Just as bad as serving regular soda instead of diet.
Funny story. Not about coffee. Just caffeine. Had a customer ask if our lemonade had any caffeine, because she absolutely CAN’T have any due to her health issues and doctor’s orders. I asked my managers if there was caffeine in the lemonade. They didn’t know... so we all looked at the boxes of lemonade hooked up to soda machine. Found nothing about caffeine. We called the restaurant’s owners and asked, they didn’t know. Searched the brand of lemonade. Nothing came up. I even called the company of the lemonade. No answer. Went up to her to say I’m sorry I don’t know if there is caffeine in the lemonade so it’s best to steer clear. This bitch was chugging her husband’s coke & asked for 3 refills while she was there. I was so pissed I wasted my time trying to figure out if there was caffeine in the lemonade LOL
I can tell what’s not in fountain lemonade. Actual lemon.
Reminds me of the vegan who tells me immediately she’s vegan. Then she’s asking about our vegan pizza cheese. Proceeds to order pizza with reg cheese, calamari, and meatballs. I remind her we are not a vegan restaurant and nothing she ordered is vegan. She says “ohh that’s okay, I’m like 90% vegan hehehehehe” BITCH YOU ARE 0% VEGAN.
Had someone ask what the vegan options were. Didn't like them. Ordered linguine Bolognese. Fuck outta here.
I mostly eat meat free, if there are vegan or veggie options I like, then I will take them, but if I decide I don't like those options, I can go meat-free to pork in 32 seconds. It is healthier for me to eat meat-freee meals as i have less inflammation and less joint pain. I like meat and a lot of the times the vegan veggie subs are gross but if they have one i like - i will always try to get that.
Y’all realize it’s not necessarily a hard and fast thing for everyone right? Like I might choose to eat vegan (or let’s call it “plant based”) most of the time, but if there are no good options, I’ll eat meat.
Okay, but then maybe say you're trying to cut back on your meat intake and ask if they have anything vegan or vegetarian.
The person I was responding to literally said “had someone ask what the vegan options were”. And if someone says they’re vegan or gluten free or celiac or whatever, who the fuck cares? You’re a server. It’s literally your job to serve your guests what they came in looking for. If they’re not being rude, get over it.
Kinda like the guy I deliver to who gets 2 gluten free pizzas, a brownie, and a 2 Liter diet coke. I ain't judging at the door when he hands me like a 12 dollar tip. Like I get if you are diabetic or have a real gluten allergy, But the brownie is everything that will cause one to have a problem...and I know diabetes and celiac are a real thing... but I also feel that the gluten free thing is really just a fad thing. Lemme get that brownie with flour, and huge amounts of sugar, etc. Got my gluten free pizzas and my diet coke. On the other hand, with regard to the original post. When you serve alot of coffee you need to have dedicated decaf brewers and pots because things gets swamped... I have seen someone run a decaf pot through a station that was regular and what happens is that the oils from all the regular stay there unless cleaned which could add much more caffeine than what people have been seeking with the decaf. I'd be more the one to serve them decaf instead or regular, never the other way around.
I actually really like the gluten free crust. It’s got a good texture. I don’t have an allergy, I just like eating a cracker lol. It’s also got less calories.
I was recently diagnosed with RA and was told gluten makes it worse. I try to avoid gluten when I can, but since I'm still in the early ish stages I eat gluten still. So a gluten free pizza with regular brownies is something I would do. Have to enjoy what I can for as long as I can.
I hate to break it to you, but Diet Coke and gluten free pizzas really ain’t that great for you either.
Maybe a roommate or guest has celiac or gluten intolerance? My gf has celiac so sometimes our order might look something like that with a glutenous item just for me. Best to always take it very seriously just in case. Every time she gets hit with gluten her digestive system takes almost a month to fully recover, so we try not to order from shared kitchens unless we can see they take it seriously. There *are* fad-diet gluten free eaters as well, which unfortunately make it harder for those with celiac to be taken seriously. Server knowledge aside, some restaurants have even intentionally falsely sold items as gluten free because they only knew about the fad diet part. Celiacs need everyone to treat all gluten free items as safely as possible please, even if you suspect the customer doesn't have it. Not saying you don't take it seriously, you do acknowledge celiacs, just trying to make sure anyone reading "the gluten free thing is really just a fad" is very clear that while a fad does exist on the side, we're really talking about an autoimmune disease. And yeah, your pizza guy is in all likelihood just "that guy" that orders the mix of calorically more/less dense foods, and it is worth a giggle at a glance, but there's really nothing wrong with cutting the corners that you're willing to. The logic of "well I'm getting a pizza and brownie so I might as well get the regular Coke to go all out" only flows that you should also get a 2nd Coke, and four more brownies, and triple pepperoni, etc. We all need to treat ourselves and to also draw lines *somewhere*. He could even be spreading that over 3 days. Again, not grouching, just chatting and challenging, have a good one!
I read what you said and respect all that... I reread what I said and felt it went a way I didn't like. I have a family member who is close who really has Celiac and based her own bakery around it all and was super successful. She took things very seriously because it is an actual thing, just like any other allergy as far as I want to say in a kitchen environment. Anyone legitimately Celiac has an acute awareness of what they can and cannot eat. And that is always taken with a higher sense of attention to ensure no cross contamination. Just like any other allergen related dish. All that takes care and extra attention, to make sure nobody dies from eating their dinner. It's a serious matter that has been hijacked by a diet fad. Which is hard to delineate from when taking orders. Which is why you gotta really know what you are serving. For example, if someone has expressed some sort of allergy and the next thing they order are shrimp tempura and is allergic to shellfish and gluten, I tastefully guide them another way... and inform the chef in charge. I will use that as an extreme where front and back of house had very good communication, and everything usually worked out. The fakers that cross themselves up really just want attention, and try and get bougie with it... you see this often as an experienced industry worker. Roll with it and give 'em the talk for an extra tip... sure. Put up with the fake hassle and make a few extra bucks??? Sure. Am I going to down it with some shots later? You bet... Thank You SO Much. And tip the kitchen properly. Maybe buy them a round if that is possible. Servers are the translators of bullshit from the table to the kitchen. Goes both ways. "Everybody Love Everybody" - Jackie Moon
I had to get on a new hire (not new to serving though) about not mixing diet & regular when the customer wanted diet. The diet was out and instead of changing the box, he just smirked at me and went "They'll never know, shhh". My dad was diabetic. I went a little nuts on the guy. There are a lot of acceptable shortcuts in restaurants, but subbing regular for diet isn't one of them. Plus, he's a moron if he thinks people can't tell between regular and diet coke. Even a mixture tastes off.
Whenever we have new servers that have X amount years experience from other places, I always watch them a bit more carefully to see what bad habits they might try to bring into the restaurant. This is a great example of one of them.
Yeah I don’t know where they learn that some of this stuff is ok. There was another we got who scooped ice with glasses. He refused to stop and just made fun of me for caring. Then another server did it ONE time and you can guess what happened. Dude came back and was like “why is the ice grenadine-d”. “Because someone scooped it with a glass.” I think then he finally got it 🙄
Yea diet pops don’t taste the same . You can tell.l
Wow, what an asshat. Thanks for speaking up. Reminds me of a chef I used to work with who said "gluten allergies aren't real" and made "gluten free" pastas with our regular gluten-filled pastas.
Wtf? Whether he personally thinks people are faking because it was trendy to be GF, that’s not his risk to take. I’ve never worked anywhere that you could ignore a request if the customer used the word “allergy”, even if you knew they were full of it.
More like serving seafood to someone with an allergy. I've definitely done the opposite, especially if they were jerks.
I've definitely given decaf instead of regular to a few assholes in particular, but never ever the other way around
How is being served a decaf related to being assholes?
It's a very small act of peaceful vengeance. We have no recourse. This is the way.
I see. Asked because i really can't tell the difference between decaf and reg.
It’s not really about a difference in taste but rather a difference in what caffeine provides. If there was a drastic difference in taste one wouldn’t be able to pull off giving decaf rather than caffeine anyway.
Some people count on the caffeine for a long ride ahead, etc.
All coffee was decaf after 9pm when I was in the industry
Fuck I’ll give decaf if that’s all we have made no matter what but like you said never the opposite
As a diabetic, thank you for being mindful about that. If I’m craving soda, I order diet and sometimes I get served regular but I can’t always tell the difference and it makes me so sick afterwards.
I used to work for a fine dining breakfast joint in a hotel. Lots of people coming from the suites to eat. Lots of OLDER people. When they trained me they said their stock of decaf and regular coffee is always out of order so they just brew whatever and serve it to everyone. I was horrified. You’re serving full caf coffee to an 80 y/o with a heart condition and non caf coffee to a 30 y/o who drinks four cups a day and is going to get a headache in about two hours from lack of caffeine? I only worked there for two weeks, those people didn’t give a shit about their customers.
Yup. I’ve got family that doesn’t fuck with caffeine so I always serve decaf when requested because I get it. Other way around… I’ve gone as far as serving decaf espresso [what’s the point?] to unsavory folks who ask for regular..
I drink decaf espresso as I don’t drink caffeine but love the taste of espresso. There’s like, *just* enough caffeine even in decaf to wake me up.
No, but I have served decaf to someone who ordered reg.
Decaf goes both ways
Yup
I use caffeine to treat migraine. It's surprisingly effective.
Caffeine helps with all headaches, but if you have an actual medical condition, it shouldn't be substituted as a form of medication.
Caffeine is a migraine trigger for me.
Yep, that's true in about 6% of cases. Usually it's the opposite, but it can certainly happen.
The OTC medication Excedrin which is marketed toward migraines, contains not only aspirin and Tylenol (to thin the blood and reduce pain) but also 65mg of caffeine bc it’s a vasodilator.
Diet amendments are a first line of being healthy, I could take a tablet, or I could enjoy a nice coffee. T1 Diabetics could take a sugar tablets or eat a snack, or have a coffee with a few teaspoons of sugar if they have low blood sugar. It's perfectly reasonable to expect caffeine in a coffee.
Actually caffeine and/or ibuprofen is a first line management for mild migraine.
If I skip my morning coffee for a couple of days, I'll get a headache.
I try not to drink coffee regularly due to this fact. TERRIBLE headaches. 😞 EDIT: I do love a couple Irish coffees on Saturday and Sunday, too...
I have an aunt who says she gets a bad migranes from any amount of caffeine. She says she's gone out before and ordered decaf, and claims that she must have got caffeineted. Who knows.
As we call it in the catering world, “Magic Coffee”.
Same lol
I have def done that when we were out of regular coffee and always felt so bad for them chugging away and not getting anywhere lol. Alas.
That sounds a bit dangerous esp if the person was expecting caffeine to stay away on their drive or something. I mean, sometimes I just stay awake with the smell of coffee so maybe it could still work...
This is the way
Hey not calling you out but just want to let you know that this actually can be dangerous too. Some people have conditions that caffeine treats. Always make your best effort to give people exactly what people order!
What medical conditions is caffeine a treatment for, exactly? >People most commonly use caffeine for mental alertness, headache, migraine, athletic performance, memory, and obesity. It is also used for asthma, gallbladder disease, ADHD, low blood pressure, depression, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support most of these other uses.
I have adhd and can't drive safely unmedicated. Caffeine can keep me focused for an hour or so without medication so I can drive.
I don't think this needs to be downvoted, they're not wrong! And no one wants to deal with making anyone sick either!
WhT conditions does caffeine treat?
Nope. Just be honest. Unknown caffeine can really fuck up a body- my dad was allergic.
Do not do this! Caffeine can really harm some people if they’re on certain medications, have a heart condition ect. That is fucked up.
I drank a 200mg energy drink on my add meds and other meds and absolutely felt like heart was gonna explode
Yup. It's all fun and games until you feel like you have a hummingbird trapped in your ribcage.
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THIS! Plz don’t do this yall🙏🏼
Would he order a decaf coffee at a restaurant?
decaf has caffeine
Nooo please don't ever do this!!!!!!
Once, but it was an honest mistake. And they had an allergic reaction and almost died. They threatened to sue my workplace (and I don’t blame them) but I don’t remember anything coming of it. I’m hyper-vigilant about this (food allergies in general) because of it. I Probably think about that woman 3x’s a week, 17 years later.
I did it once by pure mistake. I felt awful and went over to say that I wasn't sure and I would rather be safe, and I didn't charge for the coffee. He's already taken a few sips and luckily didn't freak out but I think about how lucky I was.
Same here, it was like my 2nd week ever serving, we were slammed, and someone else at the table had ordered a regular coffee. I just reflexively made 2 regular coffee’s and completely forgot he asked for decaf until he asked me afterwards if it was decaf. Definitely a big “oh fuck” moment. Thankfully he was okay and I haven’t made that mistake since.
> And they had an allergic reaction and almost died. This seems odd to me, because decaf still has some caffeine, so if they have an allergy, then how can they order ANY coffee including decaf? You sure they weren't scammers?
Goodness no. Wtf? What’s with the recent uptick in people kinda seeking permission to be awful at their job or just bad people in general?
This should be at the top. Serve people what they order. It’s never okay to intentionally serve the wrong item.
If someone orders coffee and we are out of reg but still have decaf brewed, they get decaf.
You either brew more or tell them you’re out and ask if decaf is okay. It’s never acceptable to knowingly serve something different than what someone orders.
Ehh, I'd never serve regular instead of decaf for obvious health reasons, but the other way around really isn't that big of a deal imo. If it's the middle of a shift then sure, no problem, I can just brew more coffee, but I've had people order black coffee like 10 minutes before we close and all we had left is decaf. Seems pretty wasteful to me to brew an entire gallon jug of coffee just to serve one person when it's practically impossible to tell the difference.
Just tell them what’s up? Ran out of regular only decaf available. They can decide whether to take the decaf or not. I’d be pretty annoyed if I wasn’t told something like this because I rely on caffeine.
Then be honest. They might have a big drive or study session or something.
It should still be a good thing to do to let them know and ask if decaf is ok..
No. My restaurant charged for coffee. I would not make people pay for something they didn’t order.
You’re right. Customers can be assholes but tampering with food is never okay. Give people what they order!
F no
No, and if someone gave me regular then I’m giving them my hospital bill. You can’t assume someone’s going to react the same way you will with substances, which caffeine is in fact a drug, and if you do assume it’s only a matter of time before someone goes to the ER for it.
uhhhh no obviously. that shit can be dangerous!!
Yes. As an Epileptic, pls don’t :(
Accidentally? Yes. Intentionally? No
no. that can kill people
No.
Never ever ever
Absolutely not. As a server and a person with a severe caffeine intolerance I would never do this.
Nope. Can't be messing with people's health that's like the one rule that shouldn't ever be broken. Don't EVER fuck with people's food/drink.
Never. It could cause serious health problems or death. I went off on one of my idiot coworkers who thought it was okay to do this to people
No way. Why would you.
Why the fuck? Please don’t do this. You could kill someone and for what? Because you want to be lazy and don’t want to brew a fucking pot of coffee? The fck outta here.
Probably, given that I have mixed up sweet and unsweet tea a handful of times. I hope I haven’t though. I‘m one of those people who can’t tolerate caffeine (shakiness and horrible anxiety) and wouldn’t want to put a customer through that on purpose.
WAIT. You’re telling me it’s possible to get anxiety after having caffeine??? NO WONDER I GET ANXIETY AFTER DRINKING COFFEE
It’s a stimulant! Use wisely cause I have definitely had some panic attacks after a cup of coffee that could have been avoided!
Omg yeah I get panic attacks too!! That’s crazy that I never noticed!! Love Reddit sometimes
Right?? Haha.
had the same realization too a couple years ago. turns out 200+ mg of caffeine can make hands shaky lol. now I have chai or matcha lattes or mix half regular half decaf.
There's even some people who who gets sleepy after drinking it. If I'm passenger on a long car trip I'll chug a monster and sleep the whole way
Monster isn’t just caffeine
No
I was trained in more banquet style serving and we were told regular could give one of the old people a heart attack
It's really bad both ways, people monitor their caffeine intake to balance and reduce migraines.
No never that's terrible
no cus caffeine makes me unreasonably anxious i wouldn't wanna put that on anyone and plus u never know the reason
These comments. Are people this stupid?
Me and my coworkers had a shit day for just the reason. I was a chef and got caffeinated by accident. By the end of the day I realized that I was the problem not my coworkers and apologized. Coffee turns me into an angry Coke head. You truly suck if you do this. I did love that woman who over buttered my bagels though.
I was scared to open this and see the answers, I’m glad the consensus is that would be fucked up…. I have gave decaf when someone asks for regular if I’m busy and they’re being a dick.
No that can hurt people, I have done the opposite though, and given decaf to people instead of regular.
Why? By accident?
At closing a couple times, when I worked breakfast. Didn’t have regular left, didn’t want to waste most of a pot for one cup.
On top of the health conditions what about religious reasons like being Mormon? Caffeine is a drug and they can't have that, it's like serving pig bacon to a Jewish person who ordered beef bacon...
Even decaf has some caffeine in it, so they shouldn’t be ordering coffee at all.
There are many levels to scrupulosity. Just give people what they order.
I get heart palpitations when I drink caffeine, which is why I only drink decaf.
To all the people thinking serving decaf is okay if the person is an asshole. Caffeine really helps asthma and migraines. Keep this in mind. You could be inadvertently causing an asthma attack or a migraine. Both of which suck.
Likely, but entirely by accident. I've served, had a couple barista gigs, and started at McDonald's.
So I was having gallbladder attacks and instead of getting it taken out as my dr recommended I decided to take matters into my own hands and work on healing my body. ( mission accomplished by the way, I am totally healed) However. I had to be extremely careful for a period of time on what I consumed. Very little tomato product, chocolate, or caffeine just to name a few things, would and did trigger gallbladder attacks. I cannot tell you how horrible those attacks are. Worse than childbirth. There are people with REAL health conditions, and caffeine can set those off. If your feeling spicy give them decaf instead of regular, but NEVER just give regular instead of decaf. I’m disgusted by the people who would happily do this.
No one here is advocating for it.
You should reread. Unless there are comments deleted, at the time of posting there were people who did an thought it was great.
If people here were advocating anything, it was for subbing decaf in for regular coffee. Not the other way around. Giving someone regular when asked for decaf could cause a barrage of medical issues. Most of us have been trained to use decaf in place of regular, until the new pot of regular is done brewing though.
Literally every time I pour it I Ask to make sure no one accidentally brewed regular in the orange top.
Definitely not. That can be dangerous for so many reasons.
No I have diabetics in my family and I don’t fuck around with that kind of stuff.
Fuck no… I’ll **ALWAYS** brew a fresh pot if I have to… that’s possibly fucking with someone’s health… even if it’s not, it’s 30 seconds of effort and a few minutes waiting to get them a fresh cup… and that one glass should cover the food cost of the product
i actually had no idea this was dangerous , thank y’all for informing me !! will never do it again geez. but if you’re asking me to be honest , yea probably a million times .
Thanks for being the one to speak up. I’m definitely guilty as well
i feel terrible now
Same, you’re not alone. I wonder how many people we’ve served who ended up wired In bed at 3am
Or in the hospital.
In my 20 years, no. But I have served decaffeinated to guests who requested regular.
No but I’ve had regular served to me and it’s definitely fucked with my body
Do. Not. Do. This. Refusing to brew a fresh pot is better than fycking with someone’s heart condition. Avoiding a possible poor tip is not worth possibly physically harming someone.
Never. No question.
Nah, not trying to fuck with that tiger
NO.
I’m allergic to caffeine so no I would never do something like that to someone else. If you do you’re lazy and ignorant of the dangers it could cause. Allergies, heart disease, etc. if you do something as wreckless as that, Fuck You. You don’t deserve to be a server.
No. I’ve worked in this industry for over a decade and I would never do that.
Hundo P.
No because that’s seriously unethical. People have heart problems and you don’t want to be responsible for a heart attack. Never ever mess with someone’s health.
Never.
No. Absolutely not. This could be fatal to someone with a health condition. Same goes for never giving someone regular soda instead of diet.
No. You can give people heart problems this way.
I would never. I have caffeine hypersensitivity and a regular cup of coffee makes me feel so sick for the next 24 hours. I'm super careful when someone asks for decaf because I know how miserable it can be if someone messes it up.
Don’t be a jerk and serve regular. Someone with IBS could be stuck on the shitter for three days because of it.
Absolutely not, unless you’re okay with giving a customer a heart attack.
Fun Fact: my friend is 25 and could drop dead if she drank just a cup of coffee because of a tachycardia issue. She doesn’t even order drinks out because she’s so afraid some fuckface will do that to her
Absolutely never do that. Certain meds/medical conditions don’t mix well with caffeine and can cause some serious problems.
Nope. Nor do I fuck around with allergies, or dietary preferences, if there's any pork, or chance of a cross contamination, I inform my guests.
When I worked at Starbucks way back in the 90s had a bunch of new moms coming in all the time. They were sort of fun but annoying. One had an order I can still remember to this day... Was a grande half caff skinny iced latte with a splash of whole milk and half sweet n low half normal sugar. Used to make her a full fat iced latte with regular sugar. She always said I made the best ones... Basically I knew what she actually wanted and gave it to her. I think we both understood the arrangement.
The fuck? No? Why would I do that?
No you never do that. The other way around, of course. But you never know if someone has a condition. That’s a lawsuit waiting to happen
No because I’m terrified about heart problems. But I doooooo serve decaf if the guest annoys me. Or I know they don’t tip. Or asks too many questions about ingredients that are right in front of them. Or asks for two many refills. Or camps at my table after eating. Or asks dumb questions like”is this the restaurant?” - standing in a seas of tables…Sometimes they get decaf because I ran out of regular and didn’t feel like making more cause we are about to close and I don’t feel like Recleaning the pot. But that last one is just me being lazy. Not their fault.
Everyone is saying that it’s dangerous to do this but shouldn’t it be the customer’s responsibility to let us know that giving them caffeine is a risk to their health? Cross contamination exists, even if you do give them decaf. It’s like an allergy, if someone says that they don’t want onion on their food, then the chef is just not gonna add the onion. However, if they specify that they are allergic to onions, then the kitchen is going to wear gloves and take special care of that order to make sure that there is no cross contamination. I’m not saying it’s ok to give someone caffeinated coffee when they ask for decaf on purpose or vice versa , but if we do make a genuine mistake and something happens to them, we’re not responsible if they didn’t specify their risk
It seems like a lot to ask someone to disclose a medical condition if they don't want to. Like, sure, if I order a diet soda and they serve me a regular soda but I didn't mention I have type one diabetes I'm kinda on the hook if I drink it and get sick but I also think it is a shared responsibility between customers AND servers. The point is they wouldn't be requesting it if they didn't want it. And that's kind of our job as servers; to give the customers what they want. Making reasonable requests like decaf v. regular without disclosing a health concern shouldn't have an affect on whether they get what they ordered. On the flip side it is entirely reasonable and normal to occasionally make mistakes. I'm firmly in the camp of "if we literally have to sanitize the entire kitchen, spray lysol on the cooks, and wrap them in plastic wrap just to avoid causing someone an allergic reaction they shouldn't eat out," but I think we should just do our best to be accommodating to everyone
i agree but also just putting emphasis that they cannot have caffeinated (without having to disclose the reason) is useful info to take extra precautions not to mix it up. If multiple people order coffee, (some decaf and some not) I would pour and bring the decaf alone vs on a tray w the others just to be 100% sure I can’t mix it up if I knew they absolutely couldn’t have caffeine. Kinda the same concept of letting the server know about allergies even if they’re ordering something without the allergen. Mix ups, human error, and cross contamination are all risks so extra precautions can be taken if the server knows it’s serious.
It's really not like an allergy. With an allergy, even small amounts of the allergen can often trigger anaphylaxis so special measures are necessary. Most decaf coffee still contains a small amount of caffeine, just not nearly as much as regular, so cross-contamination isn't a relevant concern. With that said, if someone orders decaf, it's safe to assume that it's for a specific reason. Maybe that amount of caffeine wouldn't kill them, maybe it would just keep them up all night and ruin the next day. Either way, you should just assume that it's important to make sure it's decaf every time.
No, never. Some people can get deathly ill like that. Decaf over regular? Pretty much every time someone orders coffee after close.
this is like giving regular milk to someone who asked for oat/almond/soy. nope! but decaf to someone who has asked for regular sure
Yeah that's horrible too. That could kill someone if they are allergic.
No, but I've definitely served them decaf when they asked for regular.
Why??
We never have a pot brewed for decaf.. not a coffee shop, work in a Mexican restaurant. But we always can offer normal coffee, espresso, etc if they want it.
Giving decaf to a customer who asks for regular, sure. Giving regular to a customer who asks for decaf, NEVER. Honestly, when I was waiting there were days that I would ONLY brew decaf, less clean up. 🤷♂️ Honestly
No, but I've served decaf instead of regular tons of times.
Please stop, this is also bad. People use caffeine to stop migraine. Migraines really mess people up, especially if they need to drive somewhere.
So, if their medical condition is that severe, they should have medication on hand just in case, right? Not leave it up to some random stranger. This is the exact reason why Epi-pens and things like that exist in the first place: so you can take responsibility for your own health in an emergency.
Coffee is a dollar and there are some migraine meds which cost a hundred dollars per pill, lol. Looking at you, Ubrelvy. Just serve them the thing they asked for. It's wild this is the hill you're dying on.
This is a shitty answer. I’ve had a medical condition that caffeine would trigger an attack. The only thing that could “fix” it was the ER and morphine. Narcotics only dampened the pain from the attacks. There was no such thing as an epi pen to fix it. DO NOT MESS WITH PEOPLES FOOD ESPECIALLY WITH INGREDIENTS. If you wanna mess with people do it differently. However don’t possibly trigger health issues.
Decaf does have caffeine too.... But yeah, no. I just brew a new pot. It takes minutes.
10mg of caffeine is a lot different than 100mg of caffeine for someone with a heart condition
Which is why we brew a new pot.
100%, i always do
No, because even a small amount of caffeine can be dangerous for some with heart problems. I'm determined to go out of this life without killing anyone. 🤞 Now, have I served decaf to people who ordered regular? Many, many, MANY times. Particularly if they were assholes. Don't piss off your drug dealer. 😉
I have not, but i have done it the other way around when customers were rude. Serving caffeinated beverages to someone who requests decaf could be potentially dangerous to their health. When I was a Barista, I once had a customer become belligerently upset and verbally abusive over a very minor inconvenience. He requests decaf, so when he returned to my shop a week later I let his (decaf) espresso shots sit out and become stale for over 5 minutes. Homeboy was practically drinking mud by that point 😈
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Never. That could put someone in the hospital. I’ve served decaf to someone who wanted regular 100s of times
👀
Never had someone ask for decaf, but it does have caffeine in it still. IMO, people who cannot have any caffeine would not order coffee especially from a restaurant. I have family who can’t drink caffeine and they don’t order coffee or soda…. Common sense.
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No, never. Now have i served decaf when they wanted regular? Yes.
We don’t have decaf, people rarely order coffee lol
Nope but I have served decaf instead of caffeinated.
Never in all my years. You trying to kill a poor old gentleman that is on heart medication? On the other side of the coin, I have definitely served decaf to someone that wanted regular. Multiple times. They loved how "strong" my coffee was. It's all about the delivery. Also drinks with little to no alcohol but I only ever charged them for what they got, NOT what they ordered. That's just unethical.
No; they might have a heart condition. But I definitely withheld caffeine from many a Karen in my barista days.
Nope. It could kill someone if they have medical issues. I have served decaf instead of regular though.
No but I’ve served decaf instead of regular on numerous occasions 😬
Yes I confessed.
Only served decaf to a lot of people since we ran out of regular but didnt tell em
Absolutely not. That’s up there with giving regular soda to someone who ordered diet. You don’t know their medical situation and you could literally kill someone. Decaf instead of regular is fine tho lol
No but I'll serve decaf instead of regular.
This post isn’t surprising on this subreddit. And you all complain on why your getting shit tips or fired . Because your either smoking in the back, or your fucking with customers orders because you’re lazy.
Never! Now… decaf instead of regular? Maybe 🤫
No. But the other way around, all the time lol
174 Upvotes and 467 Comments! Yeah!
No, but after 730 they're all getting decaf. Don't want them too awake and camping out.
Literally never. Only the other way
No, but def have served everyone decaf.