A former LongHorn Steakhouse employee has posted videos online showing what he describes as unsanitary conditions in a metro Atlanta restaurant kitchen. The footage, which appears to show debris and trash on the floor, was recorded at the LongHorn Steakhouse on Camp Creek Parkway in East Point, Georgia.
The employee, identified in the video as Sean Headley, said he began working at the restaurant in April. He claimed in the video that he repeatedly complained to managers and the corporate office about the conditions but felt his concerns were dismissed.
Headley posted the videos to social media on a Wednesday, where they quickly gained widespread attention. In the video, he stated, “There’s no way I should work under these conditions, bro.” He later added, “It’s really the work environment and the conditions that we were working in. There was a lot of inhumane conditions.”
Employee says he posted videos after feeling management ignored his concerns
Headley detailed his experience in an interview included in the news segment. He recounted his attempts to address the issues with management. “When I spoke up to the managers, you know, I was just like, hey, is it possible for us to get the tools to succeed? It’s more like, uh, this guy, is he a goody two-shoes?” Headley claimed.
He further described the specific issues he observed. “There’s a lot of roaches in there. It was just a lot of health conditions I couldn’t work with, sir. So I just had to speak up after Oh, wow,” he said in the video. The footage shown during the report includes close-up shots of what appear to be cockroaches on the kitchen floor and piles of swept-up debris.
Headley expressed hope that his actions would lead to broader changes. “I would like more health inspector visitations, not just for Longhorn, but all Darden restaurants. As far as working conditions, let’s get these ACs fixed,” he stated in the video.
LongHorn Steakhouse corporate responds to the viral video
Following the video’s circulation, a statement from LongHorn Steakhouse corporate was provided to the news outlet. The statement, attributed to Carly Maddock of LongHorn Steakhouse Corporate, read: “The conditions shown are unacceptable and have been addressed. We continue to take the necessary steps to ensure a safe experience for our Guests and Team Members and recently placed a new leader in the restaurant to ensure our strict standards are maintained.” Corporate responses to viral employee videos often aim to reassure the public, as when a female owner aggressively told a customer to leave after he bought food and sat down to eat at Lin’s Chinese Cuisine.
The news report also noted that the reporter looked up the restaurant’s most recent health inspection from August 25, which indicated it received an “A” score. The reporter stated they had reached out to the local health department for comment but had not yet received a response.
The video’s public caption identifies the subject as a “#LongHornSteakhouse employee” who is “speaking out after filming videos inside a #CampCreekParkway restaurant kitchen that went #viral on social media.” The report featured multiple clips from Headley’s video, showing the exterior of the restaurant and its signage.
The video prompted discussion in the comments section, with viewers sharing their own perspectives. One commenter wrote, “im honestly shocked, Darden has really high standards for restaurant cleanliness.” Another stated, “you would be surprised how many places look like this.” The discussion about restaurant cleanliness extends to packaged food products as well, like when a woman said a Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwich meat patty looked like a critter.
Some commenters focused on the employee’s potential job security. “And if they fire him it’s a lawsuit. It’s illegal to fire an employee for retaliation and him being fired for this would definitely be retaliation,” one comment read. Another added, “daddy darden is gonna get him.”
Other users shared similar experiences with the restaurant chain’s parent company. “olive garden has roaches too. found them in the bathroom!!” one comment claimed. Another offered support for the employee’s actions: “That is a good employee who wants to succeed. It doesn’t wanna make people work in horrible conditions. Nor does he want people to eat food made in those conditions. We need more people like him.”
