4d ago

Throwing food away because capitalism

You're viewing a single thread.

142 comments

One day I went to Chipotle before work, with the plan to buy something to later have for lunch. They had recently raised the prices, but I still got my usual burrito. When we got to the guac station, it was fresh out. "They're making more." Cool! I'll just wait then.
When the fresh guac came out a few minutes later, the worker casually went to throw the burrito they'd already made for me away. I stopped them and asked, "What are you doing?!"
They said, "I'm making you a fresh one."
What?! It wasn't even five minutes. I told them, "Just put the fresh guac into the same burrito. I'm not eating it until my lunch break anyway. Four hours from now."
Thankfully the worker complied, but I was shocked. If that's what they typically do, I can't imagine how much food they needlessly waste on a daily basis. Do people seriously think burritos go bad after sitting under foil for a few minutes? Especially when all the exact same ingredients are kept out and uncovered at the prep station for much longer? I just... I can't understand. I paid $9 for something they would have just thrown away?
If food is that easily disposible to a restaurant, then they have no business raising prices so often. Maybe employees can offer to remake food in a situation like I had, in order to satisfy the pickiest of us. But to train people to automatically do it in every circumstance? You're pretty much driving your own food costs up for no reason. I just can't logic this.
- There is even more food lost at the warehouse step.
  "Packaging is slightly wrinkly to be put on shelf" is enough at times and losing half the dairy due to no air conditioning is still cheaper than keeping food and employees cool.
- Late stage capitalism is kind of broken so y'know, gotta chase the quarterly profit, can't just enjoy success and pay employees more.
  Also, the world produces more than enough food for everyone to get their nutritional needs soundly met. The problem is our food distribution system and profit motives if you ask me
- Perhaps not you but plenty of Karens would raise all kinds of hell over that. These restaurants cater to the Karens. I was written up once at chain for refusing to refund a women's "cold food". She had ordered a take out order, drove for 45 minuets home before taking a bite and removed about being given "cold food". This removed really expected her dinner to be hot after almost an hour drive.
- There a lot of stuff tossed for food safety reasons that we'd normally just accept and go.
  America is the most litigious country, and I can't fault the bizarre things people now have to do because their legal team doesn't want lawsuit repeats.
- It actually makes sense in this case. They weren't remaking it because they thought you'd enjoy a fresh burrito, they were remaking it because the tortilla would have grown cold by that point and would be much more difficult to wrap. Thats the reason they put the tortillas in the press, to heat them up so they can wrap them easier. If it gets cold, it's prone to tear.
  So you made their job harder.
  
  oh boo hoo, they can handle a slightly harder to wrap burrito a few times per day, that's not an excuse to throw away perfectly edible food.

142 comments