PHILADELPHIA (WKRC) — A man who may have been trying to make a name for himself as a food influencer was charged with harassment after he allegedly threw a cheesesteak at the face of the general manager at a popular Philadelphia restaurant.
The incident happened at Pat’s King of Steaks, the “originators of the Philly steak & cheesesteak,” on Sept. 30, per PEOPLE. Surveillance video reportedly showed the suspect filming his experience at the restaurant before he ripped the sandwich apart by hand and threw it at the manager, Tom Francano.
Francano told NBC Philadelphia that the man appeared to be an influencer, as he had been walking around the restaurant taking photos and videos with a cell phone on a selfie stick.
“I knew exactly what he was doing,” he told the outlet, adding that he was not injured in the assault.
The suspect also reportedly told Francano, “This steak’s garbage,” before throwing the sandwich and fleeing. Restaurant owner Frank Olivieri said he believes the man may have allegedly attacked Francano to create a reaction on social media.
“The guy picked the sandwich up, threw it in his face and ran off. The coward,” Olivieri said while speaking to CBS News. “He wants to be an influencer. He wants to be famous stop hiding behind a keyboard; stop hiding behind the camera.”
The restaurant had offered $5,000 for information leading to an arrest and charges after the incident. The suspect, whom police have not named, turned himself in on Friday.
Speaking with CBS News, Francano said that in his 50 years of working at Pat’s King of Steaks, he’s never had anything like that happen to him.
“I was pretty pissed off, you know? I’m not used to getting a steak thrown in my face. I mean, if you don’t like the steak, I mean, be a little nicer about it,” he said.
