A Philadelphia restaurant offered a $5,000 reward after a customer allegedly threw a cheesesteak into an employee’s face, with the man later turning himself in to police.
The incident happened at Pat’s King of Steaks on September 30, with Philadelphia police responding to the restaurant at around 5 PM following a report of an assault. No injuries were reported.
Surveillance footage showed the customer filming his visit before approaching the service window with his order. He appeared to exchange words with general manager Tom Francano before throwing the food at his face and running away.
Man turns himself in after Pat’s King of Steaks incident
Pat’s King of Steaks initially offered $5,000 for information leading to an arrest and charges in connection with the incident.
However, Philadelphia police confirmed that the man at the center of the investigation had turned himself in. Authorities had not publicly identified him, but have charged him with harassment.
Footage from Pat’s showed the customer recording his visit before ordering a cheesesteak. Francano said the man later returned to the window and complained about his food.
“The guy picked the sandwich up, threw it in his face and ran off. The coward,” Pat’s owner Frank Olivieri said.
Olivieri suggested the incident may have been intended to generate attention on social media after the customer was seen recording during the confrontation.
“He wants to be an influencer. He wants to be famous … stop hiding behind a keyboard, stop hiding behind the camera,” Olivieri said.
Francano, who has worked at Pat’s for nearly 50 years, said he had never experienced anything like it at the restaurant.
“I was pretty pissed off, you know?” he said. “I’m not used to getting a steak thrown in my face. I mean, if you don’t like the steak, I mean, be a little nicer about it.”
Video later posted to social media reportedly showed the incident from the customer’s perspective. The creator said his content involves reviewing restaurants and throwing food back when he does not like it.
Police are reviewing video and other digital evidence as part of the investigation. The incident has also prompted Pat’s to plan a ban on cameras at the restaurant.
I’m Abhishek Sharma, an author at TigerJek.com. I enjoy exploring games, testing different strategies, and turning what I learn into clear, useful guides. My goal is to help players understand the game better and improve without the usual confusion.
