What would you do in my situation? (Sandwich edition)

I decided to stop by this sandwich shop during my lunch break this past week. It's a relatively new business, open maybe a year, and owned by this one guy who seemed pretty passionate about what he does. The place currently has about six reviews on Yelp, which are all very positive. My experience wasn't.

When I went in, the owner was sitting at one of the dining tables with three girls, holding a staff meeting. Everybody seemed really nice. The owner handed me a menu, and got behind the counter. After ordering, he took my payment and proceeded to prepare my sandwich. The problem is, he didn't wash his hands before doing so, or at any time during the process.

Had I not been so meek, I would have piped up and reminded him. The whole time, I kept wondering to myself how long it's been since he's washed his hands and what he's touched since. I took my order to go, and ended up throwing the sandwich away before returning to the office.

What should I do? I had written, and was about to post a review on Yelp stating the facts, but I haven't yet. The dude seemed nice and I don't want to kill his business, and leave the girls jobless. Should I grow a pair, go back, and try to level with the guy? Should I tell him that if he doesn't make things right, that I will post the review I had written? Should I ask for a refund or a new sandwich? I know that I should have called him out initially, but it's too late for that.

He didn't put gloves on? If you want to help him out, you should tell him. And ask for a new sandwich.

No gloves.

Tip him 50% less.

I would not have noticed this at all.

Or cared, if I had, tbh.

The dude seemed nice and I don't want to kill his business, and leave the girls jobless.

dude needs to learn elementary hygiene then

save your urine in jars over the next few years, then transport it all to the sandwich shop in your wooden airplane; burst through the door screaming REMEMBER ME??????? and drench him in gallons of piss

then grab the girls and fly them to a better tomorrow

Wow, that's weird. Washing your hands before food preparation is pretty standard in the food business. You have to take a test before handling food in the U.S. It's part of the daily culture of making food.

Tell him. But I probably would've eaten the sandwich anyway.

xp

That's the thing, I've lived in this part of California all my life, and know that to work any sort of restaurant job, you need to have a Foodhandler's License. (I've got one, though it's probably expired by now.) It's a three-hour course where they lecture and show videos of how to prevent foodborne illness then give a test at the end. You'd think it's just common sense, but apparently not. I wouldn't prepare food for myself in my own home with dirty hands, especially a sandwich, which isn't kept at a utensil's distance.

In these situations, I think to myself, "With all I've been through.. if *this* is what kills me, it was my time."

I have to admit I wouldnt have noticed/cared either I dont think.

xp I've thought about that, and came to the conclusion that given the option, a foodborne illness would be a very embarrassing way to go out.

you threw away a sandwich you paid for because you couldn't ask a guy to wash his hands, and then posted on the internet asking whether to post a scathing yelp review.. embarrassment is no threat to you. ;)