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Server fired over Gov. Gregoire's 'Crab Louie' order
on November 30, 2012 @ 8:48 am (Updated: 12:17 pm - 11/30/12 )An Olympia waiter claims he lost his job after he told Washington Governor Christine Gregoire they didn't have "Crab Louie" on the menu.
Derrick, who did not want to use his last name, was fired from Anthony's Hearthfire Grill this week because he did not provide the governor a high "level of service," he said in an email to The Dori Monson Show.
While both the governor's office and the restaurant confirm the incident, there are different explanations of what exactly occurred.
Derrick said the governor came into the restaurant over the weekend with her husband, Mike, and asked to order "Crab Louie," a salad that features fresh crab topped with hard boiled eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, asparagus and other vegetables.
He told the governor the dish was not on the menu.
Typically, the kitchen would prepare the dish anyway. However, Derrick said previous customers have requested a "Crab Louie" and the kitchen told him to turn them away.
"They have told me that we don't have all the ingredients for the dish," he said. "So I told her that we didn't have all the ingredients for this dish, but that our other restaurant would have it."
Derrick sent them to Anthony's Homeport, which is under the same ownership and less than one mile from Hearthfire. He said the governor and her husband were very cordial, and did not at all seem bothered by having to go elsewhere.
"When they left they said goodbye to me and the troopers said goodbye, too," said Derrick, referring to the governor's security detail. "There was no animosity whatsoever when she left the restaurant."
But less than an hour later, Derrick said he was approached by a manager who was upset that the governor had been turned away over a "Crab Louie." The manager allegedly told Derrick that the governor complained about his service when she arrived at the other restaurant.
Derrick said his managers met with him and said he could harm the reputation of Anthony's by treating the governor poorly.
He was subsequently fired.
Angry, Derrick and his mother called the governor's office. He spoke with a member of her staff, who then asked the governor and her security detail about the incident.
"She was perfectly happy with the server's service and actually recalled the conversation as being a pretty decent conversation," said Cory Curtis, a spokesperson for the governor's office who had been briefed on the situation.
"The governor did not complain and, in fact, was very shocked that all this happened," he said.
Curtis said their office took the matter very seriously, and called the restaurant's manager to see what happened.
"The way it was portrayed to me by the manager was the employee didn't follow their customer service protocol in this instance, which is when a customer asks for something that isn't on the menu you get a floor manager involved, which he didn't do," he said.
Curtis said he was also told that the restaurant already had complaints about Derrick's performance.
While a spokesperson for Anthony's confirmed that Derrick had indeed been let go, they would not speak about specific personnel issues. They did confirm, however, that they received a call from the governor's office about Derrick's termination.
"What I can tell you is that we are a family-owned company with a 40-year history in the Northwest," said Lane Hoss, Anthony's vice president of marketing. "We value our employees and we go out of our way to take care of guests. We go out of our way to make sure that if even something we have is not available specifically on the menu, that we would try to provide that for them."
While Derrick isn't sure who to blame, he does not believe he would have been fired over the incident had the customer not been the governor.
Brandi Kruse is a reporter for KIRO Radio who is as spontaneous and adventurous in her free time as she is on the job. Brandi arrived at KIRO Radio in March 2011 and has already collected three regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her reporting.
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Cougsfan34 wrote...Give upNovember 30, 2012 11:31 am{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }- Reply
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boeingmarcus wrote...This is why I won't listen to Dori's show anymoreDecember 1, 2012 9:11 am{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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fartforce1 wrote...it would not bother me to be fired for that from a place like that.December 1, 2012 5:43 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }- Reply
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deltta wrote...I'd like to say that i'll never go to Anthony's over thisNovember 30, 2012 11:44 am{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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gotta travel wrote...Anthony'sDecember 1, 2012 1:23 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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bmaddy wrote...Anthony'sNovember 30, 2012 11:50 am{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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William Lawn wrote...I had an order of dozen raw oysters at Anthony's onceNovember 30, 2012 12:01 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }- Reply
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ron prevost wrote...Mr. Lawn, your decision makes dining at Anthony's....November 30, 2012 1:11 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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William Lawn wrote...Actually, Mr. ron I hardly go out with a chip but I go out a lotNovember 30, 2012 1:25 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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ron prevost wrote...Had you save them for me, I'd have slutped them with zest.November 30, 2012 2:12 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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William Lawn wrote...I think you slurp themNovember 30, 2012 2:22 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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RonJ wrote...Walking hooker, that's a riot!November 30, 2012 5:15 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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Paul Kersey wrote...what?...the waiter put his fingers on your oysters?November 30, 2012 1:15 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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William Lawn wrote...Paul, good to see the election drove you completely around the bendNovember 30, 2012 1:29 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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Jeff Schroeder wrote...WaaaaaaaaaaaaaawNovember 30, 2012 2:08 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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William Lawn wrote...I'm not sure anyoneNovember 30, 2012 10:44 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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FormerMarineSgt wrote...I'm surprised that Dori isn't trying to insinuate that Gregoire caused him to be fired.November 30, 2012 12:15 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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Sean wrote...Get a clue, marineSgt.November 30, 2012 3:10 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }- Reply
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FormerMarineSgt wrote...@sean...November 30, 2012 5:05 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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Miss Ruby wrote...really?November 30, 2012 12:16 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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ten4goodbuddy wrote...really?November 30, 2012 12:59 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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Pressman wrote...Really?December 1, 2012 11:01 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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uralnutjobs wrote...dont make aniversary reservation and expect them to hold itNovember 30, 2012 12:18 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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Lonestar wrote...The homeless in Seattle are living in rat-infested swampsNovember 30, 2012 12:24 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }- Reply
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murr wrote...by choiceNovember 30, 2012 1:58 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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dori monson fan wrote...simple solution that should make everyone happyNovember 30, 2012 12:26 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }- Reply
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clharris wrote...Crab Louie MeNovember 30, 2012 12:30 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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William Lawn wrote...You LOVE Dori????????!!!!!!!!!???????November 30, 2012 1:33 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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Sean wrote...clharris,November 30, 2012 3:11 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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messiah101 wrote...clharrisNovember 30, 2012 4:27 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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FormerMarineSgt wrote..."Dori, man, I love you but you're starting to sound like Donald Trump"December 2, 2012 1:49 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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