A bizarre incident at a Philadelphia restaurant has landed one man in legal trouble after a heated encounter with the store's manager.
A man has been charged with harassment after allegedly throwing a cheesesteak into the face of a manager at one of Philadelphia's most famous cheesesteak restaurants.
The incident happened at Pat's King of Steaks in South Philadelphia on September 30. Police initially responded to the restaurant after receiving a report of an assault.
According to police and the restaurant, the customer ordered a cheesesteak with Cheez Whiz and onions before returning to the service window several minutes later to complain about the food.
The Incident Was Caught on Camera
General manager Tom Francano, who has worked at Pat's for nearly 50 years, said the customer described the cheesesteak as "garbage." After a brief argument, the man allegedly picked up the sandwich and threw it at Francano's face before running away.
Surveillance footage reportedly showed the customer filming during his visit. Restaurant staff said he also appeared to be recording the incident with a phone and camera equipment, leading them to suspect that the confrontation may have been intended for social media content.
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, the man's social media activity, which included prank, music, and Philadelphia street-content accounts. A video of the incident was reportedly presented as a food review, although it was later removed from YouTube.
Francano later told NBC that he "knew exactly what he was doing" and that he believed the man was "trying to make a little name for himself."
Man Charged With Summary Harassment
Following the incident, Pat's King of Steaks offered $5,000 for information that would lead to the man's arrest and charges. Owner Frank Olivier strongly condemned the alleged attack and said he wanted the person responsible to be held accountable. The incident was an unusual one for a restaurant that has been serving cheesesteaks since 1930.
The reward quickly became unnecessary, however, after the suspect turned himself in. The Philadelphia Police Department said the man surrendered on October 1.
Authorities subsequently charged him with a summary harassment offense in connection with the incident. His name has not been publicly released by police.