A former employee has taken to Reddit with a bombshell post, accusing Brekkie Shack –a popular breakfast spot in Columbus, Ohio– of abhorrent hygiene standards, unethical practices, and exploiting staff in shocking detail.
The whistleblower, who spent over two years at the establishment, claims the owners, Lisa and Lindsey, routinely served customers moldy food, including expired ketchup and baked goods, and even ignored health hazards like rat droppings on bakery trays. “I once showed Lindsey moldy ketchup ramekins, and she asked me to ‘scrape the mold out and salvage the rest,’” the former employee writes, sharing alarming anecdotes from their time as a manager.
But it wasn’t just the kitchen conditions that raised red flags. The post also reveals a slew of exploitative labor practices. The employee describes how they were expected to work trial shifts for no pay, were repeatedly denied cash tips, and had to fight for earned wages. In one particularly damning moment, they recount a conversation where Lindsey allegedly told them to fire an employee in a way that would “avoid an unemployment claim.”
On top of that, the former worker paints a picture of a workplace rife with mismanagement, such as unresponsive owners, unsafe working conditions (including uncomfortably high temperatures leading to employee illness), and a general lack of respect for employees’ time and well-being.
One particularly shocking revelation is that Brekkie Shack’s kitchen staff once discovered rat poop on several bakery trays. Despite the clear health risk, the owners, Lisa and Lindsey, instructed them to serve the trays that did not have visible feces. When confronted with a Google review about this incident, the owners initially denied it ever happened, only to later revise their response after the employee posted evidence.
Redditors, unsurprisingly, are stunned by the revelations. One commenter who nearly worked there before backing out over the “trial shift” system summed it up best: “What a gross establishment.”
The shocking testimony has led to a call for health inspections, legal actions, and a growing chorus of ex-staffers coming forward to share their own stories. If this ex-employee’s account is to be believed, Brekkie Shack may soon face more than just a public relations crisis. Legal and health ramifications could be looming.
