Olive Garden server accidentally drinks co-worker’s coffee in the break room. Um, why is there alcohol in it?

An Olive Garden server says she accidentally took a sip of her co-worker's coffee left unattended in the break room. Then she says she realized there might have been liquor in it.

The most unusual part? Whoever allegedly put liquor in their coffee did it in the middle of a lunch shift.

Did an employee really drink alcohol at Olive Garden?

CrabbyCabby (@crabbycabby) tells her audience about a potentially alcoholic beverage she accidentally sipped on. Her post has received more than 497,000 views.

At the beginning of the clip, she addresses the confusing situation—she accidentally grabbed her co-worker's iced coffee and took a swig of a beverage that she believes had alcohol in it.

“I hate to admit this, but I accidentally … drank that, … and there's definitely … alcohol in that, whoever's it is,” she says.

Many viewers took her word for it, joking that a “district manager” would be visiting her Olive Garden location soon. But others questioned whether there was something genuinely wrong with her co-workers' coffee.

“[They] probably use the iced coffee concentrate that … tastes like straight alcohol if you put [in] too much,” one commenter guessed.

Another commenter had the same idea.

“To be fair! The iced coffee concentrate tastes like alcohol if you put too much in … We've had many … complaints over that,” they said.

Is it normal to drink on the job?

Regardless of whether CrabbyCabby actually ended up taking a sip of Baileys, vodka, or who knows what else, viewers generally agreed—drinking on the job isn't uncommon in the hospitality industry.

Seattle Times writer Jackie Varriano said in 2022 that “Alcohol is embedded in restaurant culture,” a claim that many would argue is still true.

An ethnographic study published in Social Science & Medicine concluded there's a “professional culture of drinking” in the hospitality industry. For some bartenders, drinking on the job is part of the job. For other restaurant workers, drinking offers social enmeshment and a way to bond with customers and staff.

Viewers pointed out that some restaurants and bars even allow staff to drink mid-shift.

“I used to work at a sports bar that would let us drink within reason. Our tables could buy us shots. A [16-hour] run, though. Double would be fueled by adrenaline, dead tots, and double gin and Sprite lol,” one commenter said.

A Darden-owned brand such as Olive Garden, however, is unlikely to permit a similar policy. But multiple commenters said that doesn't stop employees from bringing alcohol to work.

“When I worked at Olive Garden, everyone was sauced … They all drinkin on the clock,” one person said.

Another added, “If [you're] not drunk, are you even working at OG?”

Is alcoholism common in the restaurant business?

Grueling hours, the industry's pre-existing drinking culture, and marginal pay can push many past their limit.

A 2015 study from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which Varriano cited, found that “the workers in the accommodations and food services industry (16.9 percent) had the highest rates of past year substance use disorder.”

Subsequent research, such as a 2022 survey from the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, revealed that “39% of participants were classed as having harmful alcohol consumption.”

But what do hospitality workers actually say about drinking? On one r/kitchenconfidential thread, former and current restaurant and bar employees reflected on their jobs and alcoholism.

“The job sucks,” one person said. “Drugs and alcohol help make it appear less sucky. We make crap so we don't have money for more expensive luxuries. Most of the time you can get a bartender to give you drinks for food, so it's free.”

“Best way to cope with a busy night, best way to cope with a slow night,” another commenter added.

@crabbycabby

Subplot News reached out to CrabbyCabby via TikTok direct message, and to Olive Garden's parent company, Darden Restaurants Inc., via email.

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