Key Takeaways
- A customer surrendered to Philadelphia police and faces a harassment charge after allegedly throwing a cheesesteak at Pat’s King of Steaks general manager Tom Francano.
- Owner Frank Olivieri had offered $5,000 for information leading to an arrest, while rival Geno’s Steaks and community members rallied behind Francano.
- Pat’s plans to ban cameras after footage linked the incident to a content creator who described throwing food at employees as part of his review routine.
Pat’s King of Steaks owner Frank Olivieri put up $5,000 and challenged a cheesesteak-throwing customer’s friends to turn him in. But instead of waiting for someone to claim a reward, the customer went to the Philadelphia police himself after the story went viral.
Authorities told 6 ABC that on Friday, Oct. 2, the man accused of throwing a sandwich into general manager Tom Francano’s face surrendered and has been charged with harassment. His name has not been released.
The development comes after Olivieri promised to find the customer captured on surveillance footage: “We’ll pull him out of whatever rock he’s living under right now.”
The man’s surrender comes as new footage surfaced from a content creator who described throwing food at restaurant employees as part of his review routine when he dislikes a meal.
Pat’s says it now plans to ban cameras at the restaurant, though it has not announced details of that policy.
Even Geno’s Steaks is backing Pat’s on this one. The competing shop across the street expressed support for Francano, focusing on the employee who was hit while working.
“In solidarity as people who get up and go to work every morning. I wouldn’t want it to happen to me. That’s somebody’s grandfather. They don’t deserve that,” Anthony Rossi of longtime rival Geno’s said.
Olivieri said customers and community members have also rallied around the restaurant, which his family has operated since 1930.
Before the customer surrendered, Olivieri offered a financial incentive to anyone willing to identify him—and questioned how loyal his online circle would be once money entered the conversation. “He assaulted my employee, so we’ll see how many of his friends that he has online are really his friends, see who’s going to turn him in first,” he said.
The owner offered $5,000 for information leading to an arrest and charges.
The dispute began on Wednesday, Sept. 30, when the customer returned to the window roughly 10 minutes after buying a cheesesteak. His assessment, according to Francano: “This steak’s garbage.”
The manager sought a second opinion from nearby customers, who said their sandwiches were fine. “That’s when he got a little pissed off, he got mad, and he picked the steak up and threw it at me,” Francano said.
Olivieri said surveillance footage showed the customer pulling the sandwich apart by hand before bringing it back to complain.
Francano had noticed the man taking pictures with a phone mounted on a pole before the confrontation, leading him to suspect he was a content creator. He also said he was unhurt after being struck.
Police say the investigation remains ongoing.
Francano’s response to the customer’s complaint remains straightforward: “If you don’t like the steak, be a little nicer about it.”
