As students seize free food with their Red Ribbons, fast food employees try to maintain their sanity.

By Chance Cortez

For students, Red Ribbon week represents the rewards to staying drug and alcohol free. At Taco John’s this reward comes in the shape of a free elongated, fluffy, sugary treat. For the employees at restaurants giving away discounted or free goods in exchange for a red ribbon, red ribbon week is a hellacious. At Taco John’s, where I work, we need to order at least two more boxes of churros than normal for that week.

“I hate red ribbon week, dude,” explains a coworker of mine, “Especially when you have to fry, we have to put down 7 churros at a time just so we can stay on top of everything.”

“When we are in a rush,” he continues, “there is nothing more annoying than 7 kids coming in at the same time just to get churros,. The worst part is that we have to mark their ribbons or else they try to keep coming in.”

Most kids try to keep coming in multiple times in a day or all of red ribbon week. “When I was in elementary school I totally pillaged everything that I could,” admits senior Sage Preble. “Pizza Hut was a haven for red ribbon week. I would conserve some of my ribbons and use them for the next year, or I tried to use them multiple at the same place.”

For those kids, it makes perfect sense. But for us employees, all we want is for red ribbon week to end so we can go back to our normal business.

Photo: Churros by juantiagues on Flickr