Tariffs Confuse American Diner About Imported Food
"The customer is always right" is one of those phrases that's been repeated so often in American culture it's practically gospel. But anyone who's ever worked in hospitality knows the truth: the customer is frequently wrong — loudly, confidently, and often about things they don't remotely understand. Still, most of us are trained to "go high," Michelle Obama-style.
Still, there are some times when a customer starts crashing out over something, and you just have to stand your ground. Recently, one chef on Reddit's r/KitchenConfidential community shared a story about a diner whose confusion (and misplaced outrage) over tariffs was just too much to ignore. His story is evidence that politics these days colors every aspect of our lives — even the entreé course.
The story starts: "A customer got upset about tariffs, and I'm confused." Here's what went down:
"I had a customer ask if the salmon was farm-raised or wild-caught. I said it was wild caught from the Bay of Fundy in Canada."
"'No, it's not, you're making that up,' the customer said."
"'No, I'm not. The fish gets delivered in a box that says Product of Canada on it and states where it was caught.'"
"This dude got angry, saying, 'I thought we had tariffs on them!? It would make no sense for an American restaurant to get Canadian fish!!!' And I responded, saying, 'Well, regardless, that's where it's from.'"
"Like brother, please. You're gonna be real mad when you learn where all of our other frozen goods come from."
"He didn't eat the salmon by the way."
"It's like he thinks we need 10 salmon to serve per month. I need like 10 whole salmon per day. I work in the Appalachian mountains, my man, I invite you to find me a steady supply of 300 salmon per month for cheaper in America. And that's just one restaurant. How many restaurants serve salmon in this city? In this state? Good luck with that."
Fellow restaurant workers instantly recognized the type — the confidently misinformed customer who doubles down when corrected — and they showed up in the comments to commiserate, unpack the moment, and swap stories of working in hospitality in an era of economic confusion and culture war-fueled dining habits:
"It sounds to me like the guy might have confused 'tariff' with 'ban.' Like, he thought that it would now be illegal to import foreign products."
"I would've said: 'Yeah man, that's why it's more expensive than it was last week.'"
—pate_moore
"If people want everything to come from America, they better be prepared for 86'd specials halfway through service and a $20 higher price."
"'I thought we had tariffs on them!' So…do you want the fish or..?"
"As a Canadian, this is what it's all a-trout. Elbows Up!"
—eatrepeat
"Those damned foreign fish, stealing opportunities from hardworking American Salmon."
"I've heard talk from management that the large corporate seafood chain I work for is phasing out shrimp entirely because it comes mostly from outside the US."
—rancidvat
"Imagine a $50 cheeseburger. It could happen. That salmon special you are talking about, $75. I'm thinking about the Portlandia episode where they spoof hipsters at a restaurant asking about whether their chickens come from a happy farm. Your story is a hilarious flipping of the script."
—Shwaggins
"Americans are about to discover what the rest of the world pays for animal protein, and their gasts are going to be totally flabbered."
"I used to work at the fish department in a grocery store in Youngstown, Ohio, close to Lake Erie. We sold wild-caught walleye, a product of Canada."
"I'm starting to worry that the human brain isn't designed to handle constant exposure to this kind of injurious information all day, every day."
"The restaurant I work at is supplied by the LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario). We have had so many customers complaining about the lack of American wines on our list since the LCBO no longer carries them."
"Like, guys, do you not know what's going on right now?"—SyrupySex
"You want control over where your food comes from? Cook it yourself."
"It sounds more like he thought the United States was going to immediately create tens of millions of new jobs to fill industries that have been vacant for decades."
Americans, have you noticed your dining experiences have been changed by the recently imposed tariffs? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
And if you have simply given UP on dining out, you must download the free Tasty app — no subscription required — to access 7,500+ recipes and cooking tips.
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