19-year-old dishwasher chemically scrubs a luau pig roaster, gets his goldbricking superior in trouble when the chef finds out: ‘You said make it shine like new!’

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  • Man working in the kitchen in a restaurant.
  • "Really seals in the flavor..."

    This story is from many years ago from when I was 19-20.1 used to work for a Resort... the same resort 3 separate times in many different job roles so prepare for other stories. This was my second time working there when I did dishwashing. I kind of got the job accidentally which is another story entirely. ANYWAYS!
  • They held a Hawaiian Luau event which involved renting a custom built whole pig spit roast that fit 2 pigs. As a seasoned adult who has now enjoyed a lifetime of good barbeque, this thing was beautiful. As someone who thought they were an adult.... this thing was a large inconvenience and a waste of money.
  • Roasted pork at a luau.
  • I didn't get to participate in any of the food... but I did get to see the dishes. Me and my coworker went out in the loading dock to take a break as one of the chefs rolled up with a golf cart towing the Big ol Pig Cooker. There are two types of chefs at this resort, the cool ones... and the type who was currently driving the golf cart.
  • He lights up a cigarette and looks at the two of us. Points at me and says "Clean it" I walk up and take my first look inside. It looks like it's been through absolute hell.
  • "This is more that a shift worth of cleaning... I don't know even know where to start."
  • "Well, they'll be here in 3 hours to pick it up. So you better start now and when they get here, it better shine like new" "How do you even clean something like this?"
  • "I don't care, just make it shine" I know I'm being setup for failure but I knuckle down. If I work my ass off but fail in the process I'll be in less trouble than if I just don't try at all.
  • Professional kitchen looking spotless and clean.
  • I brought out the big guns. I went to the supply closet and got a brand new un-used floor scrub brush, all the heavy chemicals and the garden hose. I spray the whole thing down in 4 cans of the heaviest degreaser we have, let it sit, and then literally stand inside and scrubbed.
  • After an hour of scrubbing I rinse to see the progress. Not much. I go to maintenance and grab a paint scraper and some scotch pads out of their supply. Another round of heavy chemicals and I start scraping.
  • Really making progress now. I work into a system. Chemicals, scrape, scrub, rinse, chemicals, scrap, scrub, rinse.
  • Dishwasher doing his job in the kitchen.
  • I am on my knees in this thing chipping away at the crap and I heard the dock door open. It's one of the office guys, the chef, and someone else. "...right out here, he better have it clean for ya"
  • It's at this point I look up. The Chef sees me obviously not done and has an evil grin. The office guy looks indifferent. The stranger.... Enraged Horror.
  • He comes running up and starts a tirade. I blank on what he says as my mind goes into survival mode. Usually people I see this angry are one really small thing away from physical violence.
  • I don't remember the exact argument but I do remember the guy being mad about how I was cleaning it with "You scrubbed off the flavor" and how it was
  • "seasoned" which meant nothing to me at that point in my life. The chef chimed in with "Why would you do this, don't you have any common sense?"
  • My mind comes back into focus and I say "You said you didn't care how I cleaned it but to make it shine like new"
  • There was a moment of silence and then he starts back at me telling me that I was done here and HR would have my butt for this... like losing this job would ruin my life.
  • The other dishwasher, like a knight with a moist dishtowel over one shoulder, appears in the door way. "Dude you literally told him to make it shine like new, I was standing right here"
  • They made me stop where I was and rinse it off.... We lost our deposit. I never got in trouble. Chef got his butt reamed. Things never got better there... but I felt vindicated. I am still good friends with that other dishwasher.
  • Tourist enjoying a luau
  • BeastInDarkness I definitely read through most of this thinking you were cleaning the golf cart.
  • OP Linda Lissen Oh that would have been great
  • Nothingofintrest19 More trying to complete a task than malicious but I like it.

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