Food Influencer Arrested for Throwing Cheesesteak at Restaurant Worker

A social media influencer has been charged with harassment after throwing a cheesesteak at a restaurant worker in Philadelphia. The incident occurred earlier this week at Pat's King of Steaks, a popular establishment known for its cheesesteaks.

Surveillance footage captured the man, who has not been publicly identified, sitting at an outdoor table and disassembling the sandwich without eating it. He then approached the counter and threw the cheesesteak at Tom Francano, the manager of Pat's King of Steaks, who has worked there for nearly 50 years, before fleeing the scene.

Frank Olivieri, the owner of Pat's, stated that he and his IT team identified the perpetrator by finding the video the influencer had uploaded to YouTube and Instagram. The YouTube video was titled 'I Threw This Cheesesteak in His Face Geno's Steaks' and featured a thumbnail of the sandwich in motion with the text overlay 'THIS CHEESESTEAK SUCKED!'. Olivieri noted that the influencer appeared to confuse Pat's with another well-known cheesesteak restaurant.

"How brazen are you to assault somebody and then post it?" Olivieri questioned in an interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer. "Thank God for stupidity."

The video also surfaced on a newly created Instagram account, YAM TV, which described itself as a reality food critic show. Neither account revealed the offender's name.

Olivieri had offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the attacker's arrest and conviction. While he reportedly paid someone who provided information, police confirmed that the content creator eventually turned himself in.

The influencer's motive for the assault remains unclear, though reports suggest he claims to review restaurants and throw food at employees if dissatisfied. Olivieri expressed disappointment with the harassment charge, suggesting it was too lenient.

"What are they going to give him, community service?" Olivieri asked. "Maybe he should come over here and sweep the pavement."

Olivieri emphasized that his pursuit of the individual was not just for himself but for other business owners who might face similar incidents. "I think it's for everyone else who has had an issue with a pizza influencer, a hoagie influencer, or whatever," he said.

Following the incident, Pat's King of Steaks is reportedly considering implementing a policy to prohibit cameras within the restaurant.