VIRAL CHEESESTEAK ATTACK: Man Turns Himself In After Allegedly Throwing Pat’s Steak In Worker’s Face

VIRAL CHEESESTEAK ATTACK: Man Turns Himself In After Allegedly Throwing Pat’s Steak In Worker’s Face

What started as a bizarre confrontation over a cheesesteak at one of Philadelphia’s most famous restaurants has now turned into a police case.

The man accused of throwing a cheesesteak at an employee at Pat’s King of Steaks in South Philadelphia has turned himself in to Philadelphia police, and authorities have now charged him with harassment, according to police and 6abc.

The incident happened Wednesday, September 30, at the iconic cheesesteak shop on Passyunk Avenue and quickly exploded across social media after surveillance footage showed the confrontation.

According to reports, the customer ordered a cheesesteak before sitting down inside the restaurant. Restaurant officials said surveillance footage appeared to show the man pulling the sandwich apart and handling the food before returning to the counter and complaining about it.

Things then went left.

The customer allegedly threw the cheesesteak through the restaurant’s service window, striking longtime Pat’s general manager Tom Francano in the face before running away.

Francano, who has worked at Pat’s for nearly five decades, told 6abc that the sandwich hit the side of his face and food went everywhere. Despite the bizarre attack, Francano said he was not seriously injured.

The incident was reportedly captured from multiple angles, making the footage even more eye-catching once it began circulating online.

Restaurant owner Frank Olivieri said he believed the incident may have been connected to social-media content. The customer reportedly arrived with recording equipment, leading employees to believe he may have been attempting to create some type of viral restaurant video.

Olivieri previously offered a $5,000 reward for information that could lead to the person’s arrest and prosecution.

At the time, the owner said he believed the incident was more than somebody simply being unhappy with their food. Surveillance footage, according to Olivieri, appeared to show the customer intentionally manipulating the sandwich before the confrontation.

“He threw it in his face,” Olivieri said, describing the incident as an assault.

The story took another turn Thursday when new footage connected to the incident began circulating online.

According to 6abc, police were reviewing video posted by a content creator that appeared to show the confrontation. The creator reportedly described his content as involving restaurant reviews and throwing food at employees when he doesn’t like what he receives.

Police later confirmed that the person at the center of the investigation turned himself in Thursday.

Initially, authorities said charges were still pending. But by Friday, Philadelphia police confirmed that the man had been charged with harassment. His name had not been released publicly in the reports available at the time of publication.

The bizarre incident has also sparked a larger conversation online about social-media creators going to extreme lengths to generate viral content.

Restaurant owners and employees routinely deal with difficult customers, but intentionally creating a confrontation for views can take things to another level. In this case, what appeared to be a complaint about a cheesesteak ended with an employee getting hit in the face with the very food that had supposedly been the problem.

And now, instead of simply becoming another viral restaurant video, the situation has resulted in a criminal charge.

For Pat’s, a Philadelphia institution that has been serving cheesesteaks for generations, the incident is certainly not the kind of publicity the restaurant was looking for.

Francano told reporters he was fine following the incident, but made it clear that customers have other options if they aren’t satisfied with their food.

The viral footage continues to circulate online as the legal case moves forward.

Video Credit: FOX 29 Philadelphia