Goodbye and good riddance, 2019. It’s 2020’s turn now. First we deal with the holiday fallout; for most of us that means gift returns and figuring out how to pay for the last month’s winter debauchery. As we’ll see in today’s Hot News, though, one guy lost his job over a bottle of barbecue sauce. Links to the original stories are in the titles of each entry.
Tweet and Saucy
A man in Canada got a bottle of barbecue sauce with a grill brush as his company’s Christmas gift. Usually it’s a big package of candy and beef jerky, so he was none too thrilled about the change. The American employees all got the candy/jerky package; Canadian and Mexican division bosses were allowed to buy their people whatever they chose to buy at a budget of $27 per person. Exhibiting the good sense that most butthurt people do in the age of the internet, he opted to be heard via social media. Namely, Twitter. And, just like most other disgruntled employees that bitch about their companies in a public forum, he got caught. Rather than sitting him down for a verbal warning or some such adequate response, the company upped the ante with an overreaction of its own and fired the guy. All over a $5.99 bottle of barbecue sauce and a grill cleaner.
Putting the BS in KCBS?
According to this news story, the Kansas City Barbecue Society is facing some very dark times right now. The secretary of its board, David Qualls, is facing a $2 million lawsuit from the Peoria Tribe of Oklahoma over funds mismanagement. Not only that, its last CEO stepped away abruptly under shady circumstances after a few months at the helm, its $3 million headquarters is now up for sale, and there’s more.
Phone Scam, Barbecue-Style
How mad (or bad) do you have to be to change the answering machine on your ex-girlfriend’s business phone to tell everyone it’s closed, when it isn’t? The owner of Lansing, Michigan’s Capital City BBQ experienced that for herself when her ex-boyfriend, who controlled the restaurant’s phone account, changed the voice mail message to say that the eatery would be closed for months. That’s not cool; keep your breakup between you and the other party. Don’t make others suffer by denying them access to good barbecue.
Speaking of Lansing Barbecue…
Let’s end the first Hot News of 2020 on some good news. Lansing’s Saddleback BBQ got a nod from Food Network for its barbecue rib sammich as one of the best sandwiches in America. Inspired by McDonald’s infamous McRib, Saddleback’s take on it is much meatier and apparently much tastier, too. Good job!
If you have news item you’d like us to feature, please message it to us.
Latest posts by Mark Masker (see all)
- 2024 Scovie Awards Call for Entries - 07/07/2023
- 2024 Scovie Awards Early Bird Special: 3 Days Left - 06/29/2023
- 2024 Scovie Awards Early Bird Deadline Looms - 06/25/2023
