South Carolina Man Hilariously Cooks Himself Breakfast at Waffle House While Employee Sleeps

A South Carolina man went to extreme lengths to get his restaurant-prepared breakfast.

Alex Bowen, a former army medic from West Columbia, South Carolina, had a craving for Waffle House after a night of drinking with friends last week at around 3 a.m., according to WOLO-TV, an ABC affiliate.

“I got there and expected to be greeted by a smiling Waffle House employee, instead, I was greeted by nobody,” he said.

“As I was going around the corner, I saw the sleeping employee and they looked tired, they were sleeping, I was like, ‘go ahead and rest fam, I got this,'” he continued.

Alex Bowen at Waffle House
Alex Bowen at Waffle House
Bowen took a photo of a sleeping Waffle House employee
Bowen took a photo of a sleeping Waffle House employee

Bowen, 36, cooked himself a Texas bacon cheesesteak with extra pickles while taking photos of his late night adventure, according to WIS-TV. He was kind enough to clean the grill before he left, later posting the pictures on Facebook that quickly went viral.

He told the outlet that while he didn’t initially pay for the food, he did return the next afternoon to give an employee $5.

A Waffle House spokesperson told WIS-TV the sleeping employee was suspended for a week and released a statement saying the manager had spoken to Bowen and apologized for the lack of service.

“For safety reasons, our customers should never have to go behind the counter,” the statement read. “Rather they should get a quality experience delivered by friendly associates. We are reviewing this incident and will take appropriate disciplinary action.”