Lawyers and the Texas Roadhouse Steak

UPDATE, August 13, 2008: Ryan Kropp Sentenced to Six Months, Probation
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Kevin Hansen is preparing to sue Texas Roadhouse. The lawyers are circling.

Ryan Kropp, a cook at the West Bend restaurant, tampered with Hansen's steak last Saturday.

Kropp is no angel. A public case search reveals that he has had a number of run-ins with the law -- disorderly conduct, bail-jumping, repeated charges of underage drinking, and possession of marijuana.

Now, he can add placing foreign objects in edibles to that list.

From TMJ4:

The West Bend man who found hair in his steak is preparing to file a lawsuit against Texas Roadhouse restaurant. His lawyer says the man hasn’t been able to eat since the incident.

A restaurant cook is out of a job and facing a felony charge after being accused of hiding hairs in a ribeye because a customer complained the first steak served to him was overcooked.

Kevin Hansen, who dined at the steakhouse with friends and family Saturday, said he ordered a 16-ounce ribeye cooked medium rare, with a warm, red center, according to the criminal complaint filed against cook Ryan Kropp.

When restaurant service manager Michael Liberatore stopped by the table, Hansen told him the steak was cooked medium, not medium rare.

Hansen declined an offer of a new steak, but Liberatore persisted and offered a new steak he could take home, the complaint said.

Liberatore then took what was left of the first steak and showed it to Kropp and the other cook on duty "so that they could both learn what a medium rare steak was supposed to look like," the complaint said.

Hansen went to police Sunday to complain of hair in the second steak. A police officer observed "several strands of what appeared to be hair coming out of the middle of the steak," the complaint said.

Kropp, 24, of West Bend, was charged Wednesday with a felony of placing foreign objects in edibles, carrying up to 3 1/2 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. He was released on a signature bond.

Kropp admitted to police he put a few of his facial hairs on the steak, saying he was angry the customer sent the other steak back and thought he was "just trying to get free stuff," according to the complaint.

According to the complaint, a second kitchen worker told police Kropp put a slit in the steak and pushed something inside, then stated, "These are my pubes," referring to pubic hair.

Travis Doster, a spokesman for the Texas Roadhouse chain of 288 restaurants in 44 states, said Thursday night that Kropp and the other worker were both terminated.

"Food safety is our number one priority and we will not allow anyone to compromise that," Doster said. "As a company, we're not only shocked, we're angry that someone would pull such a reckless stunt as putting facial hair in a steak.".

This is so disgusting.

Kropp's act has hurt a lot of people. Other staff at the West Bend Texas Roadhouse are innocent, yet they'll suffer the fall out from the incident and the lawsuit.

He said the West Bend restaurant has an excellent inspection record. "I just feel for the staff because they really work hard, and one silly stupid stunt impacts everybody," he said.

I wouldn't call what Kropp did "silly" and "stupid."

This wasn't just a prank. It was a crime.

Because of what he did, Kropp has lost his job and he was charged with a felony. He could spend time in prison and pay a large fine for his "one silly stupid stunt," as spokesman Travis Doster calls it.

Texas Roadhouse will probably also end up paying, now that Hansen plans to sue.

A lawsuit will bring even more unfavorable press about the restaurant. This local situation could impact Texas Roadhouse restaurants across the nation. Weaker business means less hours for workers. They earn less. Wait staff certainly receive less in tips when there are fewer patrons. There's a ripple effect.

According to his lawyer, Hansen hasn't been able to eat since the incident.

Wow. That was a week ago. Hasn't he been able to eat at all? That's a really dramatic reaction. He should see a doctor and get something for anxiety. Some nice pills might help him relax so he can get some food down.

I can understand why he'd have trouble stomaching any restaurant food, anything prepared outside his own home. However, I'm surprised he can't eat food prepared at home by his wife or another family member. Maybe if he made himself something to eat he'd be confident that it wasn't tainted in any way.

I'm sure Texas Roadhouse and Hansen will reach some sort of out of court settlement. Kropp might cost the restaurant and its employees a lot of money.

Eventually, whatever this costs Texas Roadhouse will be picked up by the consumers. It always is. Way to go, Kropp.

Once this thing is settled, I predict Hansen's appetite will return. A sizable check does wonders to stimulate the appetite.