The Bartender Who Charged $12 For An Orange Because Of A 'Citrus Shortage'

Picture this scene: You're sitting at a bar, enjoying some snacks and libations, and you notice a big bowl of oranges sitting right in front of you. Do you A. ask the bartender if you can have an orange or B. assume the oranges are up for grabs and take one? (We suppose there could be a third scenario where you leave the bowl alone because you don't want an orange, but that doesn't fit into the hypothetical scenario we're laying out here so just go along with us.) A TikTok video recently went viral showing what can happen if you pick option B, and in a turn of events that should surprise no one, the comment section brought out some hot takes.

The video, shared by Barstool Sports, shows a man identified as Franky Bernstein helping himself to an orange at an unnamed bar. The bartender, her face obscured by an angry red emoji, tells him that the oranges were only meant for making drinks and that she will be charging him for the one he ate. Her reasoning? "We're in a citrus shortage." When the bill arrives, it says, "stolen orange: $12.00." Bernstein appears stunned as the bartender tells him that she hopes he learned a lesson. The Barstool TikTok post is titled "Karen in training."

There's a lot to unpack here, starting with the fact that Franky Bernstein is not just a random TikToker who stumbled into notoriety. He's actually listed in Forbes 30 Under 30 as the founder and CEO of Markett, a startup dedicated (shockingly) to marketing. The comments on Barstool's TikTok post are split into pro-Bernstein and pro-bartender factions, with the Bernstein bunch appearing to hold a slight edge. Many comments suggest that if the bar staff was legitimately concerned about a citrus shortage, they shouldn't have had a bowl of oranges on prominent display. Others argue that specifically writing "stolen orange" on the bar tab was a petty move and that charging Bernstein $12 for it was the real act of theft. One user even suggests that Bernstein should have called the police.

If Bernstein had called the cops, he would have probably ended up regretting it. Taking food from a restaurant or bar without paying for it could be considered "dining and dashing," which, according to Restaurantware is illegal and carries fines up to $5,000 as well as potential jail time. All things considered, the bartender could have done worse by Bernstein. Nevertheless, most TikTok commentators seem to believe that any food left out at a bar should be fair game unless there's a sign explicitly forbidding patrons from taking it. Keep that one in mind, bartenders.

In the midst of arguing over who the real thief in this scenario is, people seem to have overlooked the most important part of the video. The bartender says there is a citrus shortage, preemptively justifying the high price she's about to charge Bernstein for purloining an orange. Most commenters of TikTok have labeled this a laughable excuse; but, the thing is, we are actually facing a citrus shortage, and it's serious. Insider reveals that American orange crops are being decimated by an incurable disease called "citrus greening," spread by an invasive insect species from Asia. This, coupled with the impact of numerous climate disasters, has caused Florida's orange output to drop by more than 50% over the last decade. California's citrus groves have also taken a hit.

You should expect to see orange juice prices climbing upwards if you haven't already. Bloomberg projects that Florida's citrus production will drop 51% in 2023, the worst year-to-year decline in over a century. The Guardian reports that the average price of orange juice not made from concentrate jumped to $10 per gallon in January 2023 (juice from concentrate hit $6.70 per gallon). The soaring price of OJ paired with the ongoing egg shortage is quickly turning breakfast into the most expensive meal of the day. Regardless of whether you believe unlabeled produce at a bar should be considered up for grabs or not, you can hopefully appreciate the desire to save an orange.