The “I Can’t Eat There; I Used to Work There” Diet

My son used to LOVE to go to Noodles and Company and get the Barbecue Pork Mac.  He loved it so much, that my husband started making it at home.  Then, my son got a job at Noodles and Company, and lost his appetite for their food and all things “N-word” as he now refers to the place.

My son spent one of the worst weeks of his life in the kitchen at Noodles and Company.  While the pay was decent, over a dollar above minimum, the hours were horrible.  He is 17 and still in high school, but that didn’t stop them from working him 6 to 7 ½ hours at a time, on school nights, with NO BREAK.  Not even a bathroom break.  Sure, he could have free soda, but NO BREAK.  The people he worked with told him this was normal for that location.  He came home from work literally shaking from the caffeine and lack of food. Umm, I’m pretty sure that is illegal.  In fact, I know it is.  In addition to the hours, they had him cooking with little training and no Ove Gloves, or any hand protection.  He burned himself twice.  So, at the end of the week, my husband and I told him to just stop working there and find a company that doesn’t get their corporate training from a Charles Dickens novel.

So, of course, you can understand why my son has no interest in eating noodles of any kind.  This seems to happen to a lot of people who work in food service, not the Oliver Twist working conditions, but the distaste for workplace food.  Way back in the day, before iPhones and DVR’s, my husband worked at Hot Dogs and More (no longer in business) in the mall near his house.  While he did get breaks and his shifts were never longer than 4 hours, he still does not like hot dogs.  Later, in college, my husband worked at Dunkin’ Donuts.  While the rest of America may run on Dunkin’, I can assure you that my husband runs FROM Dunkin’.

I never worked in food service, so I can eat anything.  This is probably not shocking as evidenced by my tree trunk legs and masculine waistline.  After my son’s experience, I won’t be setting foot in a Noodles and Company anymore, but I will still drive through Dunkin’ Donuts when I need a gluten fix.

What about you?  Is there any food you refuse to eat because of a job? Leave a comment and let me know.

Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: Charles Dickens, Child Labor, Dunkin Donuts, Noodles and Company