The Right and Wrong Way to React When Someone — Maybe Even You — Breaks a Glass in a Restaurant

There is one sound in a restaurant that can strike a nerve for anyone who hears it. The nerve will strike differently depending on who you are and where you are in relation to this auditory adversity, but it’s something no one ever really wants to hear: the sound of a breaking glass. Gravity has taken hold of that precious keeper of water, wine, soda, a cocktail, beer, or other beverage and now restaurant staff and customers will have to decide how to react to it.

Don't applaud (seriously, don't)

First of all, repress any feeling you have that makes you want to clap. The person who broke the glass has no need for a round of applause. Not only does it add more unease for an already embarrassing situation for the person responsible, it’s also embarrassing for you. This isn’t the seventh grade when a shy kid drops a tray in the cafeteria in front of the popular table resulting in a standing ovation and a moment that will haunt them for the rest of their life. OK, that might just be me, but still don’t clap. 

Don't get greedy

If you are the customer who broke the glass, relax. As long as you’re not bleeding and there’s no glass in your food, it’s fine. Rest assured the staff will be there to help you. However, your bigger concern is probably whether or not your server is going to replace what was in that glass for free or not. Water? Absolutely. Iced tea or soda? Sure. An $18 Martini? You never know. More than likely, it will be replaced without an additional charge, but will be served as close to where it was when it spilled.

Don’t think you can knock over your glass of wine that had one swallow left and expect a full glass to reappear. Servers pay attention to that. And if your child broke the glass after you ignored the suggestion to have them use a plastic cup with a lid on it, you can be certain that the refill will arrive in that plastic cup that you previously shunned. 

Do make sure your party is wearing shoes

When a server hears a glass break, even though they immediately hear it, they will not instantly respond. Their brain first runs through a series of computations to determine whether or not they have any responsibility. “Was that an employee or a customer? Was that in my section? Did anyone else acknowledge it so I can remain free of obligation?” 

If it is in their section, now they have to deal with it. One staff member will stand near the broken glass while another retrieves a broom, mop, dustpan, napkins, and anything else required to clean it up. They will do their best while in a hurry in a dimly lit room. If I break a glass in my kitchen at home, I’m on my knees with a magnifying glass making sure I got every single shard off the floor. At work, it’s a different story. For this reason alone, I always discourage parents from letting their kids be barefoot in a restaurant.

Don't charge the server (this for you, bosses)

If a restaurant employee breaks a glass, they are more than likely on their own for cleaning it up unless they can pay a busser a few extra dollars to do it for them. By no means should they be responsible for the cost of it. Restaurants might have a small fee that comes out of paychecks to cover broken dishes, which is already infuriating because a broken glass here and there is part of the cost of doing business, but no boss should expect an employee to fork over the cost of a broken glass. It’s tacky and offensive.

Do avoid the worst possible outcome

The absolute worst place a glass can be broken is anywhere near the ice bin. That is a code red, all hands on deck kind of emergency. The gears of the restaurant will grind to a halt and all attention will be focused on the task of replacing the ice. This is why glasses should never be stacked behind the bar directly next to the ice bin and why ice scoops are either plastic or metal. Any server or bartender who uses a glass to scoop ice is simply inviting disaster.

Do accept the inevitable

Glasses are going to break at restaurants. It cannot be avoided, but the one thing we can all agree on is that when it does happen, there’s no need to yell out “Opa!” or “Job opening!” Acknowledge it and if it doesn’t affect you, carry on.