Many restaurants are struggling to stay staffed, leaving workers to do multiple jobs at once. One local cook's kind gesture kept a worker from walking out.
What would you do if you saw your cook short staffed and struggling? Ethan Palmer, a grill cook at Nic & Norman's, said help.
Palmer and Taylor Johnson were eating at the Waffle House in East Ridge together when they noticed a lone worker struggling.
"She told all of us, she was like I know I'm not the only one, but I promise you I'll feed all of y'all if y'all just be patient, super nice the whole time," Palmer said.
She was taking orders, making the food, bringing it to the tables, and ringing them up.
"She had nine people and had five of their food ready, and dropped it," Palmer said.
Palmer said he knows that feeling.
"It doesn't matter where it is, you can always see that look in someone's eyes when they're about to break, about to wig out, and she was there,' Palmer said. 'It's a tough time right now especially in the restaurant, no body wants to work and if they do, they don't want to stay very long."
Instead of just watching, Palmer went behind the counter, swept up the mess, and started remaking the food.
"She was calling out all sorts of crazy stuff, she was like double bacon, I don't know what that means, you're going to have to tell me step by step what to do," Palmer said.
Palmer said he figured it out and happily finished the orders.
"I always hope someone would help me if I was in that situation," Palmer said.
