Boycott Cracker Barrel
VENICE, Fla. — A 73-year old veteran says he was fired from the Cracker Barrel restaurant in Venice for giving someone who looked in a need a few condiment packets and a corn muffin.
Was it against the restaurant’s rules, or is it the right thing to do? It’s a debate that is already catching fire online.
For the past three plus years, Joe Koblenzer has put on his brown and yellow Cracker Barrel apron and greeted those who come in to the Venice location. “It’s a fun job; a job really suited to me.”
He says that two weeks ago, a man who looked like he might be homeless came through the doors. “He looked a little needy. He asked if I had any mayonnaise and some tarter sauc. He said he was going to cook a fish.”
The man whose job it is to be friendly obliged. “I got it for him. As I walked out I put a corn muffin in.”
That gesture apparently cost Joe his job. “The General Manager called me in and said he had some bad news for me. Joe we are going to have to let you go.”
He admits he’s been written up before; two years ago for getting a fountain drink on the job and a second time for giving a cup of coffee to woman. He claims she actually paid for it.
But rules are rules. “It’s a rule. They legally can do this because I did break the rule. I completely forgot about it. I am a host at Cracker Barrel with a little above minimum wage job.”
Now the Vietnam vet who was trying to supplement his Social Security is the one looking for work.
“Hurt me? Oh yeah it has.”
The debate over the seriousness of the event and the subsequent firing has started a firestorm online. In recent days the story has gotten out on Facebook, on pages like the Venice Scoop and even the restaurant’s own page.
While some are saying it’s the company’s right, the establishments reviews have plummeted with more than 30 negative comments about the firing.
“I feel badly. It shines a bad light on the company. I would not want that on any company, but it happened,” says Joe.
He says he’s sad over the situation and misses the regulars and employees he’s gotten to know; earning the maximum amount of stars on his apron for performance achievement and responsibility. “You know what? At 73, I was really proud of doing this. I was really proud of getting those stars.”
He says yes it was against the rules and yes they have a right to let him go, but morally it still feels like it was the right thing to do. “I don’t think I will be working for a corporation again, so I don’t know if that will ever come up (laughs).”
Joe says he is looking for a new job but not quite sure yet what he will do.
Late Wednesday, a Cracker Barrel spokesperson released the following statement:
“Mr. Koblenzer has worked as a host at Cracker Barrel’s Sarasota store since April 2011. During the time he was employed, he violated the Company’s policies regarding consuming food without paying or giving away free food, on five separate occasions. Mr. Koblenzer received multiple counselings and written warnings reminding him about the company’s polices and the consequences associated with violating them. On the fifth occasion, again per Company policy, Mr. Koblenzer was terminated.
Cracker Barrel is grateful for and honors Mr. Koblenzer’s service to our country as we honor all service men and women and their families.”
He should have bought the guy a muffin,unless it was destined for the dumpster,hate all the food that is perfectly edible that ends up there.Does the corporation have the right to fire him,sure.We as the public also have the right to not support the store or the corporation,think I will exercise that right though in all honesty rarely ate their products,now it is never eat their products.I bought a kid a sub once who was panhandling outside a pizza joint,ended up eating with him,a college student literally living out of his car.What really impressed me with his story was he was having trouble affording books,folks he knew threw a keg party he couldn’t afford the 10 bucks for,turns out the party was to raise money for his books,gave me faith a few years back that all college students while still having fun(enjoy it while you can!)still worked together to help out a fellow student.
A very slimy company statement that I hope people will see through because helping someone in need is surely not an offence that deserves termination. I think people can see who is a decent person vs a money hungry corp that does not have any empathy. I have no doubt the company and its policies are zionist in nature as virtually all corporations that wall street allow are zio as of course is wall st. The manager that set all this in motion is obviously a power hungry tyrant and we should be thankful he is not a cop or other. God bless us all…
I worked for the Cracker Barrel off I-80 and Kennedy ave in Hammond- Highland Indiana area. Nothing but Nigger and Spick scum worked there in the kitchen. I was threatened by the gang banging scum and I had to leave LOL. Place is nice out front disgusting in the back Believe me you wouldnt want these fukkers cleaning your toilet let alone cooking your food .
Another restaurant to boycott. When will these corporations and businesses learn? Customer FIRST, Business SECOND. Their “Business first, customer second” Communist China model doesn’t work and will NOT work in the U.S. We don’t take that shit.
You’d think they would know this by now after they keep closing chains of stores around the country every year. Unfortunately, all they see is themselves failing to make enough money for their shareholders. They’ll never learn because they have no sense of morals or business ethics.
I contacted corporate and gave them my two cents. I do not know what their store policy is but I didn’t think it required firing the man over something so lame. They say 90% of Americans are Christian well where the hell are they? I do not see any evidence of it except on Sunday with full parking lots of churches.
From what I see of the treatment of these poor people the more I am convinced that they have no hearts. During the depression people pulled together and helped one another out. My grandmother told me many stories of helping hands. She had a store and often fed one of the hobos that traveled the country during that time. They would often leave a mark on the places where they got help for others to find.
In my opinion there were other ways this could have been handled.
“I do not know what their store policy is but I didn’t think it required firing the man over something so lame.”
Their policy is, “Who cares? The employee is just a slave. If we fire him, we have 1,000 other unemployed people just lining up and fighting to take his job”.
It’s the Communist way, don’t you see. It happened all the time when I was living in Communist China.
As I always say, “When you have more jobs than people, you have freedom. When you have more people than jobs, you have slavery.”
Grin I know you are an atheist, and so be it. But just as many atheists tend to label all Christians as hypocrites because many American Christians do not live the Word of Christ I am here to tell you that these folks do not act this hypocrisy because they are Christians, but because they are not true to their beliefs. Christians who forsake the poor, widows and orphans are not true Christians. When you lump all Christians in with these hypocrites you insult true Christians who would never act this way.
NOT all but a heck of a lot from what I am seeing of the corruption we are seeing, abuse by the police, the treatment of the homeless etc. It is growing day by day so that the good Christians wherever they are are becoming the minority.
Just look at the churches and see how that has gone. They are now under the foot of the government and obey.
While a college freshman in Boston I bought a delicious steak sandwich and two small cartons of milk. I went to the Boston Commons and saw a homeless man on the park bench. He had all his belongings in a backpack, he had dirty clothes and looked down and out. I walked over to him and offered half of my steak sandwich and one carton of milk. We sat and talked and I asked him how he became homeless. He told me such a wonderful story of how he had a good job and had a family at one time. Something came up and he lost it all, it was back in 1976 so I don’t remember. But his story was fascinating, that much I remember. And I felt real good about myself for helping him out.
🙂 🙂 🙂
Joe,you grow up in Boston area?I grew up outside of Boston but had to move as though some nice land and people state/local govt. too messed up for me.The student and I also ate on the common,more towards the swan boat rides.
It was right to fire him after warnings about such. In America a bussiness gives out food unsealed or a employ. They can come back,say you made them sick and sue you and win! That is not right and makes it imposible to recicle or give away food here. They sue you for such and win. So business must say no for self protection from such. Change the law there. Then I would say no he was right.
And this is proof of why we have no morals in this country anymore. Everyone is out to sue everyone because no one has job and people are desperate, no thanks to our treasonous government and the bankers controlled by the Zionists and Communists.
I will not abuse Henry’s hospitality by saying what I want to to you.
The old man is no different than the politicians stealing our labor and giving it to the illegals, and the bums that only want to suck off the labor of the producers. It aint yours to take and feed the needy. Nice gesture, but do it on your own dime. A do gooder at Cracker Barrells expense. Old and a vet, let’s not give into the same emotional game they play on us with the “children.”
That “bum” could very easily be a destitute today despite working his entire life, so please don’t judge him until you know more about him.
Long ago homelessness and huger could usually be blamed on the sufferer, but today there are many people suffering who have worked hard, and did the right thing all their lives.
He was probably begging for condiments because he’s too decent to steal the things, and he’s apparently catching his own fish rather than stealing food.
Jolly, I wan not calling the guy who came into the restaurant a bum, was referring to the bum welfare folks on the dole. I understand people need help, and am willing to help when and where I can. Was simply addressing the older man who gave the food away. Guess the question is where do we draw the line. Also understand the criminals running things are thieves and also ought to be fired. This is a small infraction the guy did, and ends up fired. Still, imo he is stealing from the company. Perhaps he could have asked the company to run a program to give left over foods to the hungry.
I do agree if edible under stores date policy he should have paid for it,if going out in dumpster despite legal issues right thing to do.I know of one place that always has extra pizza/calzones ect. at end of day as they try and have stuff made for the quick pickup crowd.Tis perfectly good food but to their high standards will not sell next day.Owner comes in at night to close registers ect. and after helping himself and workers puts any leftovers in a few cardboard pizza boxes outside back door with intention upon leaving to throw in dumpster,talking with him he has yet to actually throw in dumpster.His security video shows a few regulars who have it tough/some homeless,says that each person only takes a box,he showed me one of the videos.Needless to say don’t eat out much but always try and get a calzone from him now and then,would put out business name as they deserve it but they would probably get in trouble with health dept. or some such nonsense,actions like this give me a bit of hope about humans though.
The poor guy is suffering from being born at a time when Americans were decent people and didn’t watch someone starve. His boss is of the corporate mindset that will kill anyone for another nickel.
Watch one guy starve, and doom another to poverty over your stinking corn muffin, you tightwad Jew?
Take your barrel o’ crackers and stuff ’em, you heartless pieces of trash. You’ll never get another dime out of me, and I’d really enjoy seeing the entire Cracker Barrel board of directors put through a wood chipper. Slowly.
I contacted corporate and in a very nice way informed them of what I thought was a wrong decision and how I do not plan to ever return to one of my favorite places especially the store in the front.
I gave them some suggestions of how to handle that problem and I am sure they will jump right on it.
Anyway I got so angry I just had to do something. I will let you all know the response I get if any.
I know I know I know..let’s act out the predictive programming of the movie, “The Purge”…
You take this and you compare it to Chick-a-Fila restaurant in which workers from a branch gave away free chicken to people stranded in an ice storm this past winter and were praised by the CEO’s at the head office because the people at that branch did the “Christian thing”. Shows you who has the better morals.
Isn’t the Cracker Barrel one of the restaurants that is all for Amnesty and hiring illegal immigrants?