Chipotle Customer Throws Food At Employee in Brawl, Judge Offers Employment Instead of Jail Time The video of the September 5 altercation quickly went viral on Reddit.
By Emily Rella
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
The guac may cost extra, but serving it yourself is one way to cut down on price — and a prison sentence.
A Chipotle customer, who was arrested in September for throwing a burrito bowl at an employee's face, was offered the opportunity to shorten her 180-day jail sentence by 60 days — if she agreed to work at the fast-food restaurant for 20 hours a week for two months.
Related: Influencer Slams Chipotle Quality, Prices in Viral Rant
On September 5, a 39-year-old woman named Rosemary Hayne was arrested in a Parma, Ohio, Chipotle for assault after an over-the-counter altercation led to her chucking her food at the manager taking her order. Video of the incident quickly went viral on Reddit.
Chipotle in Parma, OH
byu/haleywaley16 inPublicFreakout
Customers helped Chipotle employees write down Hayne's license plate number as she drove off. She was later arrested at home.
During the court hearing on November 28, Hayne's apologized to the employee, Emily Russell, while saying that the food she was served was "disgusting looking." This did not please Parma Municipal Court Judge Timothy Gilligan.
"You didn't get your burrito bowl the way you like it, and this is how you respond?" Judge Gilligan reportedly said during Hayne's sentencing per local outlet Fox 8. "This is not real housewives of Parma. This behavior is not acceptable."
Related: Video: Customers Attack Chipotle Workers For Extra Cheese
Russell said the sentencing was unfair and told the court that she had to leave her job after the altercation with Hayne because she was traumatized.
"No one acts like that to any employee, especially if I'm a manager," Russell told Today. "She got exactly what she deserved. She's gonna walk in my shoes. You know, she's working 20 hours a week. She's lucky — I was working 65-hour weeks."
It is unclear when and in what location Hayne will begin her two month stint at Chipotle.
Chipotle did not immediately respond to Entrepreneur's request for comment.
