What’s in Your To-Go Box? Wife’s TikTok on Husband’s Dish-Stealing Habit Sparks Viral Debate
The video raises awareness of how petty theft can have small businesses paying the price
People are taking sides in a viral debate over whether your leftovers from restaurants can include some of the business’ dishware.
A recent TikTok video, shared by @giannacaye, has taken the internet by storm, amassing 12.7 million views as of publication. The video featured a woman sharing her husband’s habit of stealing dishes from fancy restaurants whenever he enjoys his meal. The clip showed the woman’s husband shrugging innocently, followed by a shot of macaroni in a stoneware dish squeezed into a to-go box.
The caption read, “My husband’s beige flag is that every time we go to a fancy restaurant and he likes a dish, he will ask for a box and steal it.” A “beige flag” refers to any habit that seems unusual, but not necessarily concerning, like a “red flag” would be.
One small business owner’s viral reaction to the to-go stealing habit
Chen-Chen Huo, who runs the TikTok account @ryanandcc and is the co-owner of Polkcha, a craft cocktail bar in San Francisco, voiced his frustration in a response video. It has since gained 5.3 million views. Huo explained how such seemingly minor thefts can significantly impact small businesses.
“This is the kind of sh– that’s infuriating,” Huo said in his clip. “So we have very nice glasses at our bar. They’re, like, $20 each — they’re very nice; they provide a very good experience.” He then explained that with so many people taking their glasses, he has thought to stop buying them. “So if you need to hear this, hear this: If you take people’s stuff — if you take small business’s stuff — you have no class. That’s all.”
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What have reactions been to the viral restaurant dish theft?
The video has sparked overwhelming response from viewers, most of them shocked. One commenter wrote, “I GASPED I had no idea ppl did this.” Another shared a similar experience, saying, “I had a regular that would always take our little garnish skewers, so we stopped buying them. When they came in and we didn’t have them, they had the audacity to say ‘I wasn’t done with my collection.’” One user even replied, “Omg I have a collection of borrowed dishes.”
The original poster, @giannacaye, responded to the stitched video, admitting they “never even thought to do it to a small business.” This comment added another layer to the debate on the ethics of stealing from different types of businesses. One user commented, “Green flag as long as it’s from a chain,” to which another replied: “[People] don’t realize that its local [people] that have to pay fees to the corporation to use the franchise. And individual locations will get shut down if not profitable.”
Many users emphasized that theft is unacceptable, regardless of the business size. “Franchise owners DON’T make a lot of money,” another commenter pointed out, countering the argument that stealing from chain restaurants is more acceptable. “And if they did, they could open another restaurant. With your logic, I can steal from you because you made money and have it.”
So, what do you think? Comment your thoughts about this viral debate below!
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