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washingtonpost OP t1_j4vftzd wrote

From reporter Tim Carman:

Brittany Spaddy has never seen “The American President,” the 1995 rom-com written by Aaron Sorkin, but she basically lived out one of the film’s most memorable scenes, the one in which a flower shop employee collapses when the president of the United States walks in and tries to order roses.

Spaddy was called into work at Ghostburger on Tuesday, her day off, ostensibly because a VIP was coming to the D.C. burger joint and the place would need extra employees to handle the crowd. But the real agenda, said Josh Phillips, co-founder of Ghostburger, was that the owners wanted Spaddy to be there when President Biden called to place an order. The White House had made the arrangements the day before with Phillips and his wife and co-founder, Kelly.

“She earned that call,” Phillips said about Spaddy, who handles practically everything in the front of the house at Ghostburger, one of the few feel-good stories of the pandemic.

Neither of Ghostburger’s owners told Spaddy who was calling. They just said an “important phone call was coming in today,” Spaddy said. She thought it might be D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser or some pop-culture figure. She was not expecting the president.

“I got a little star-struck when I answered the phone, and I’m normally not like this,” she said. “Because I heard the voice, and I’m like, ‘No way! No way! No way!’”

Spaddy recognized the voice before the president could even identify himself. She took his order. Biden asked for a single Ghostburger with bacon, but no cheese and no “spooky sauce.” He ordered another single Ghostburger with cheese, but no sauce. Based on a photo posted to the president’s official Twitter account, Biden claimed the bacon burger. Vice President Harris noshed on the cheeseburger. They both ordered crinkle cut fries.

Read more here, and skip the paywall with email registration: https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2023/01/18/biden-ghostburger-order/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=reddit.com

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TheDeHymenizer t1_j4vrlpt wrote

>Neither of Ghostburger’s owners told Spaddy who was calling. They just said an “important phone call was coming in today,” Spaddy said. She thought it might be D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser or some pop-culture figure. She was not expecting the president.

man would I be pissed if I got called in on my day off because the store thought I'd want to meet some celebrity on the phone

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Accurate-Bluejay-262 t1_j4vy8t9 wrote

Sounds like the employee in question was really excited and that the restaurant knew she would be, so took the extra steps to call her in. Would it be okay to smile for someone having something they subjectively were really excited about happen to them, rather than shitting on it with your negativity?

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Gitopia t1_j4woocv wrote

/r/antiwork has become cancerous

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ccbmtg t1_j4wvdv8 wrote

but still not quite as literally cancerous as the practices it often criticizes! lolol

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Ashahoy t1_j4z240v wrote

My takeaway was that the employee is holding the business together so the fumbling owners can have a source of passive income.

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TheDeHymenizer t1_j4w248q wrote

>Sounds like the employee in question was really excited and that the restaurant knew she would be, so took the extra steps to call her in. Would it be okay to smile for someone having something they subjectively were really excited about happen to them, rather than shitting on it with your negativity?

lmao spoken like someone whose never had to work retail.

Yah cause if she was pissed I'm sure she would of told reporters that in front of her bosses. Def wouldn't give some "oh yah I was super excitied to take Joe Bidens order over the phone".

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Accurate-Bluejay-262 t1_j4w528b wrote

I put myself through college working restaurants, and definitely knew a lot of people during those days that would have bent over backwards for this opportunity, and many who would have scoffed. Thankfully the scoffers I knew wouldn’t have felt the need to shit on others like you’re doing and would have been happy for their fellow human being having a moment of happiness with a bucket list item.

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TheDeHymenizer t1_j4w5ibo wrote

>I put myself through college working restaurants, and definitely knew a lot of people during those days that would have bent over backwards for this opportunity, and many who would have scoffed.

Cool bro. Nice little stint right there you did on to bigger and better things. Pretty much anyone I know, including myself, would take the day off.

IF it was Biden coming in person. That would be completely different. But a phone call? For a day off? I don't see it.

edit: and a last comment followed by a block like the high-horse redditor you are. Luckily I got email ssssoooo

"uuuhhh your maligning them she should put on her uniform smile and take her phone call on her day off like a good little girl"

you people are disgusting.

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Accurate-Bluejay-262 t1_j4wao7u wrote

Restaurant work is a needed job area and while it’s not necessarily everyone’s final destination, you’re unfairly maligning yourself and more importantly your coworkers for being in the industry by calling other callings “bigger and better things.”

Honestly all these comments you’re making just make you seem like a negative shithead. Blocked.

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Formergr t1_j4xdkmm wrote

>you people are disgusting

Kind of extreme, no?

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swellian23 t1_j4w60zp wrote

yea man i feel the same way as you, i really dont give a fuck about meeting someone like that. just to go out of my way to meet you cause youre going to a burger joint? like the fuck? i dont care about the president and im not about to waste my time being a fan of some dude i dont know.

​

people have nothing better to do? letss just slurp someone else.

gotta be on your own wave, not chasing around fake celebs

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nishank010 t1_j4wx5rj wrote

My work handled catering for this not A list but pretty popular celebrity couple months ago and I was asked if I would like to stay for a few more hours after my night shift so they could come in to the restaurant, have drinks and I could get photos taken with them. I was like fuck that, I’m clocking out at 10, I don’t care about pictures. I’ll make them drinks and provide service if they’re here in my scheduled time, besides that absolutely not idc how big name you are.

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TheDeHymenizer t1_j4w6yh0 wrote

>yea man i feel the same way as you, i really dont give a fuck about meeting someone like that. just to go out of my way to meet you cause youre going to a burger joint? like the fuck? i dont care about the president and im not about to waste my time being a fan of some dude i dont know.

yeah and if Biden was coming in person and she got to meet him, get a picture for a selfie, and all that it would be one thing and I would understand it a bit more.

But a phone call? A freaking phone call haha. I'd hope I'd be getting my day off rescheduled

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spince t1_j4w8uj3 wrote

>man would I be pissed if I got called in on my day off because the store thought I'd want to meet some celebrity on the phone

I'm waiting for the r/antiwork post

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TheDeHymenizer t1_j4w9hl3 wrote

all these people disagreeing with me I don't get it. I mean if Biden came personally, took a selfy with her, signed something, etc etc I'd completely understand and wouldn't of posted anything.

But she literally just took a phone call with him placing an order for cheeseburger and fries

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OneFootTitan t1_j4wribj wrote

It may not float your boat, but she's clearly a big enough fan of the President that she recognized his voice right away (which is definitely not something I think I would be able to do) and got all excited to get "just" a phone call

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TheDeHymenizer t1_j4wv733 wrote

well at the very least I hope she got her day off refunded lol

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incond1te t1_j4ypjgj wrote

Not working on hourly wage isn't a day off... She just wasn't scheduled. She gets paid what she works...

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TheDeHymenizer t1_j502b08 wrote

>Not working on hourly wage isn't a day off... She just wasn't scheduled. She gets paid what she works...

yAh dONt sAy

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BREsubstanceVITY t1_j4wxfj0 wrote

I've worked in restaurants all my life and you just seem like a miserable asshole.

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TheDeHymenizer t1_j4wxqpb wrote

>I've worked in restaurants all my life and you just seem like a miserable asshole.

oh so you'd give up a day off in order to take a phone call with a famous person?

You wouldn't prefer. Lets say, the owners ASKING you if this is something you'd like to do?

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BREsubstanceVITY t1_j4wy4ph wrote

The person in the article seems genuinely excited to have done so and you're just shitting on everything.

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TheDeHymenizer t1_j4wywcw wrote

>The person in the article seems genuinely excited to have done so and you're just shitting on everything.

What do you expect her to say exactly if she wasn't? With her bosses right there? With journalists right there?

Sounds like Ghost Burger is a pretty good gig so I don't think she in a position to say "you all could of asked me first....."

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SgtPeppy t1_j4xjnt2 wrote

Literally this entire thread could be avoided if you understood the very simple idea that you aren't everyone and don't speak for everyone. That's it but for some reason I will never understand you've decided to die on this hill.

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TheDeHymenizer t1_j502k5y wrote

>Literally this entire thread could be avoided if you understood the very simple idea that you aren't everyone and don't speak for everyone. That's it but for some reason I will never understand you've decided to die on this hill.

yah I know the idea of asking her if she'd like to sacrifice a day off to come into work to take a phone call from Joe Biden is outlandish.

Put on your little uniform, do your little puff piece, and let r/washingdc cheer! Now hope your call was worth it you got 7 more hours on the shift.

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SgtPeppy t1_j506srs wrote

You are a sad, strange little man.

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TheDeHymenizer t1_j50hgkm wrote

>You are a sad, strange little man.

yah the idea of asking someone if they prefer to have their day off or have a phone call with a celebrity is both strange or sad.

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Wonton_soup_1989 t1_j4ww363 wrote

Idk I remember when I was younger and Vice called the restaurant where I worked to see if they could do an interview there and it was the highlight of my day. Unfortunately my bosses were republicans and once they figured out what Vice was they said no. But just the fact that I spoke to someone from Vice was amazing to me. Now imagine it’s the president, like a good one you care abt (aka not Trump)…

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spince t1_j4wagjo wrote

I don't disagree with you. I also found it amusing that the owners were like "oh she needs to come in because we want to reward her." I'd be curious to know if there was anymore rewards beyond taking the call, like a bonus and an extra day off on top of fun of getting to take an order from the President.

I think it's a fun story to be able to tell but not recognizing that it came at a cost and if it wasn't covered for it would be a miss.

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calebo12 t1_j4w2qb2 wrote

What's with the negativity, DeHymenizer? Let people be happy, we all can't be a dehymenizer like you :(

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TheDeHymenizer t1_j4w4zr7 wrote

"Please don't make me think of the help as if they're real people. I love the idea they wake up, put on their little uniforms, and happily come in on their day off to take a phone call"

No you can not. But you can aspire to be. You can aspire to be.

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puttinonthefoil t1_j4xaycj wrote

You’re aware that there are perhaps some folks for whom this would be a cool story they’d like to have, yes? She could have absolutely declined this interview.

The whole world doesn’t share your view; it doesn’t make me think “the help” are automatons.

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phdpeabody t1_j4xo52s wrote

I'd be twice as pissed if they called me in on my day off to take care of Biden.

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coviddc t1_j4xm5mz wrote

This story warms my heart -- criticize her bosses all you want, I think its sweet they recognized this employee's dedication and wanted her to receive the president's call.

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