Earlier this summer, a woman went to Taco Bell for a sweet treat. There are few better ways to cool the mouth and tingle the taste buds than an ice-cold, fruity drink on a hot summer day, after all.
She decided to order one of Taco Bell’s newer line of drinks called Agua Refrescas. They come in three different flavors—strawberry passionfruit, dragonfruit strawberry, and mango peach—and Evelyn Raines (@evrain23) wasn’t sure which she wanted. So she asked the Taco Bell worker taking her order which was his favorite.
Raines couldn’t believe his response.
“He goes, ‘Oh well, they make us pay for it, so I haven’t tried it yet,'” she recalls in a TikTok. “I said, ‘What?'”
She went with the strawberry passionfruit Agua Refresca. The worker apologized again when she picked it up at the window. Raines says she replied, “That’s whack, I wouldn’t buy it either.”
Do restaurant employees have to pay for food?
Many people just assume that working in a restaurant means you get to chow down for free. That often isn’t true, however.
There are some restaurants that provide a meal, sometimes called family meal. But no matter what watching The Bear may make you think, that’s the exception, not the rule.
Most restaurants do give an employee discount. Often you can only use it to purchase a limited amount of food, such as one meal per shift. The discount varies, but 50% off is rather common in the industry.
These policies vary from restaurant to restaurant. It can also vary between franchises like Taco Bell.
As multiple commenters confirmed in the Taco Bell subreddit a few years ago, workers at one Taco Bell may get a complimentary meal while those at another don’t, even in the same city. It depends on the location and the owner.
One person commented on Raines’ TikTok, writing, “I work at Taco Bell and it’s true they make us pay for it. And they don’t even allow us to get it on our $10 employee meal.”
That said, even if it isn’t restaurant policy to feed you, there often are ways to get a free meal or sample something without resorting to theft. Orders get messed up all the time. Being friendly with the kitchen staff in these situations can be a literal meal ticket.
You can also ask a manager if you can try something. It’ll depend on the manager and the item, of course. You’re not likely to get to try the wagyu ribeye, for example, but you might just get a taste of Taco Bell’s new Agua Refresca.
Is the Agua Refresca worth the price?
As she shares her disbelief that the Taco Bell she went to doesn’t give employees free food and drinks, Raines takes a sip of her strawberry passionfruit Agua Refresca. At $4.30, she and several commenters think it’s a bit pricey.
As one wrote, “For a little over $4 it was giving Minute Maid for me! Not worth it.”
The sheer quantity of sugar, which Raines says is 41 grams, had her planning to water it down over the course of multiple drinks. That may sound like a lot, but it’s roughly the equivalent of a 12 ounce Coca Cola.
Sugar and price aside, Raines was overall pleased with Taco Bell’s strawberry passionfruit Agua Refresca.
“It’s good. It tastes like a really sugary Gatorade,” she says.
She didn’t respond to a direct message sent via TikTok.
@evrain23 Why are drinks so expensive EVERYWHERE now? And poor Taco Bell employee can’t even try itttt!?
♬ original sound – Evelyn Rain
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
