‘I can’t stop’: Diners are stealing from restaurants—and posting about it on TikTok

Restaurant diners can be a sticky-fingered bunch. Who hasn’t been tempted to slip a particularly nice cocktail glass or a tiny saltshaker into their bag after lunch?

But as dining out gets more expensive, more people seem determined to get their money’s worth, swiping everything from cups and plates to steak knives and even cheese graters. And not only are they getting away with it, they’re proudly flaunting their loot online.

​​In a viral video with more than 900,000 views, one creator boldly holds up a stolen cheese grater and asks, “What’s the best thing you’ve ever stolen from a restaurant?”

Rather than backlash, the comments section reads like a confessional. “Spoons. little baby spoons. from every restaurant. every time. I can’t stop,” wrote one user. “I need to step up my game. I just have little sauce containers,” added another. 

For some, the habit has turned into a full-blown collection. In another video, a TikToker proudly displays a stash of stolen bowls, cutlery, jugs, and glasses. “I really enjoy these – it’s why I have so many,” she says of her small black soy sauce bowls. “That’s my collection,” she concludes cheerfully. “I am going to be getting more soon.”

Some restaurants are leaning in to the joke. Upscale London restaurant Sexy Fish stamps the bottom of its chopstick holders with a label that reads: “Stolen from Sexy Fish.” Another London eatery, the Ivy Asia, marks its fish-shaped table ornaments with a similar disclaimer: “Stolen from The Ivy Asia.”

But not everyone is laughing. Creator YoungKaren called out the trend as a clear case of “normalized theft,” saying that even otherwise “normal” people seem to pocket items without considering the impact—especially on smaller businesses. “If I was sitting with you and you stole something, I would tell the waiter on you,” she warned. “Even if you’re my friend, I still would.”

Anyone who’s worked in or run a small business knows how fast those “harmless” thefts add up. Replacing stolen dishes, cutlery, and glassware isn’t just annoying—it’s expensive. And ultimately, those costs are passed on to other diners. So while that copper mug might look great in your home bar, just remember: Someone else is paying for it.


https://www.fastcompany.com/91304947/diners-stealing-from-restaurants-and-posting-on-tiktok?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss

Vytvořeno 1mo | 25. 3. 2025 10:50:02


Chcete-li přidat komentář, přihlaste se

Ostatní příspěvky v této skupině

Who is Aaron Parnas? He’s the guy breaking news to Gen Z

If you’re not on TikTok, you may not have heard of Aaron Parnas. But for many young people across the U.S., he’s a prominent political news source, with over 3.5 million followers on TikTok and ju

28. 4. 2025 10:40:09 | Fast company - tech
Inside a single day on TikTok: 117 million videos, billions of views

Getting a sense of the scale of social media platforms can be tricky. While tech companies often share self-serving metrics—like monthly active users or how likely users are to buy products after

28. 4. 2025 10:40:08 | Fast company - tech
Is social media hurting teens’ mental health? It’s complicated

Social media is terrible for teens’ mental health—or is it?

At the same time that

28. 4. 2025 6:10:07 | Fast company - tech
3 quick, easy AI chatbot prompts that can help you do your job better

Fun fact: The saying “work smarter, not harder” is coming up on its 100th birthday. Coined

28. 4. 2025 6:10:06 | Fast company - tech
Is Apple falling behind on hardware?

If you’ve followed Apple for any length of time, you’ve no doubt come across the notion that the company doesn’t rush into adopting cutting-

27. 4. 2025 11:30:07 | Fast company - tech
This free audio enhancer will totally transform your voice memos

Every now and then, you run into a tool that truly wows you.

It’s rare—especially nowadays, when everyone and their cousin is coming out with overhyped AI-centric codswallop tha

26. 4. 2025 12:20:10 | Fast company - tech