Outback Steakhouse review: Unsafe working environment

Outback Steakhouse

2202 North West Shore Blvd

Tampa, Florida 33607

Human Resources Department:

I am filing a complaint against the Outback Steakhouse in Joplin, Missouri.

I was erroneously terminated on 8/7/2022 for taking a slice of cheesecake which I had permission from Larry Strickland, Food Service Manager, since I had purchased a fan for the salad/cold side personnel

On August 7, 2022, Devon, Managing Partner walked after me which I was leaving work and he grabbed my arm. I will be glad to send you a photo of the 4” by 5” bruise I have on my arm.

He accused me of stealing the slice of cheesecake. I tried to explain to him that I had permission and he wouldn’t listen. The next day I reported to work an was called into the office and told bt Devon that I was needed at Outback anymore. Larry Strickland was sitting iun the office with his back to me – and said absolutely nothing in my defense!

I wish to personally inform you that there is absolutely NO ACCOUNTABILITY at the Outback Steakhouse in Joplin, MO. A perfect example is that the liquor storage room is Always unlocked. There are several male employees that bring large backpacks to work. I have seen a couple of the guys go in the liquor room with their backpacks. I guarantee several bottles o liquor have disappeared.

There has been three documented incidents where Larry Strickland has been verbally abusive to me and threatened me in front of other employees. I spoke to Devon and documented the altercations and Devon did absolutely nothing.

Devon wrote on the dry erase board a few months ago that if any server does not ‘pre-buss’ their tables – their sections will be reduced. He Never followed up and the same people do not pre-buss at all

There is no accountability between shifts. Aa prime example is when the afternoon servers arrive, the morning servers are just sitting around joking or on their cell phones while no stocking has been performed. The day shift is allowed to just punch out and go without doing ANY side work. No butter ramikins made, no ice in the ice bin, no tea in the urns, etc.

Additionally, the new assistant manager, Cameron, wants to play games. Shortly after he became assistant manager – he was involved in a ‘love triangle’ with two servers. He was having sexual involvement with a server named Destiny and another one, Ashton. Because of this unprofessional behavior, Outlook lost a very good cook. Nothing was ever done about this situation but it caused a lot of internal unnecessary drama. One evening Cameron was running thru the kitchen, for no reason, and ran into me while I was carrying a large tray of food. He ran into my tray which knocked several ramikins on the floor. He never stopped to help clean up nor apologized for playing in the kitchen.

Several of the server trainers are seriously lacking in their training duties. It is so obvious that they do not train new servers to do any pre-bussing, cleaning, or stocking during their shifts. Therefore, new servers just stand around and play on their cell phones

At any given time, a majority of the servers will be standing around playing on their phones while the tea urns are empty, no butter balls have been prepared, no ice in the ice bin, and the potato bar is dirty and empty. It is always the same select servers will come in and make tea, clean up and/or stock. There is No Accountability and Devon does not care! Devon is perfectly content to stay behind the grill counter and cook, therefore, he doesn’t have to deal with the front of the house problems.

Cindell and Bryce, assistant managers have been forced to carry the brunt of the customer and server problems. They both had several chats with Devon about this unfair distribution of duties. Devon has promised several times to change things and become more involved. Unfortunately, NOTHING has changed in the past 18 months.

The kitchen at Outback is filthy! The counters are dirty, paper on the floor, black mold in the ice machine, tea urns/nozzles not cleaned and vegetables (zucchini or squash) are NEVER washed prior to cutting in the prep area. The prep attendants just take the food out of the boxes, cut and bag them along with the dirt.

I am very serious about this COMPLAINT and an requesting a follow up on being physically assaulted by Devon, verbally assaulted by Larry Strickland, and ‘no accountability” at the Outback Steakhouse in Joplin, MO.

Karen Campbell

2417 East Manitou Street

Joplin, MO 64801

[protected]

P.S. I would recommend that someone from corporate level to walk into the kitchen unannounced and take note of the extremely obvious discrepancies