'Stolen office lunch' drama has Twitter gripped

  • Published
A chicken sandwichImage source, Getty Images

We've all been there and felt the gut-wrenching pain.

You bring that delicious lunch you've carefully prepared at home to the work office.

You place it in the communal fridge, get on with your morning's work, and when you go to take it out later...

It's gone.

That's exactly what seems to have happened at Zak Toscani's office.

His posts about a co-worker discovering who had stolen his lunch have gone viral - with one tweet getting more than 460,000 likes.

Image source, ZaK Toscani
Image caption,

Zak works in a post-production office in Los Angeles

He told Newsbeat he never expected such a reaction.

"It's truly wild. I honestly thought some of my friends would get a kick out of this but it's been constantly exploding. It's been really weird.

"It's been awesome. I think so many people have responded to it because everyone who works in shared office spaces have maybe encountered something similar.

"It was not expected in the least but it's been really fun".

It all started on Thursday when he tweeted his co-worker was allowed by HR to check the CCTV to find out who had stolen his lunch.

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post by Zak Toscani

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post by Zak Toscani

The lunch was shrimp fried rice.

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post 2 by Zak Toscani

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post 2 by Zak Toscani

After watching the footage, the thief was revealed.

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post 3 by Zak Toscani

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post 3 by Zak Toscani
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post 4 by Zak Toscani

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post 4 by Zak Toscani

Then came the company-wide email about not stealing other people's lunches.

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post 5 by Zak Toscani

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post 5 by Zak Toscani
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post 6 by Zak Toscani

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post 6 by Zak Toscani

The culprit then apparently asked the victim: "Why would you go to HR about that?"

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post 7 by Zak Toscani

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post 7 by Zak Toscani
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post 8 by Zak Toscani

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post 8 by Zak Toscani

Zak threw in a curveball by ordering three shrimp fried rice plates to the office.

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post 9 by Zak Toscani

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post 9 by Zak Toscani

And then there was the cliffhanger.

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post 10 by Zak Toscani

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post 10 by Zak Toscani

Zak, 33, is also a comedian but insists the story of the stolen lunch isn't a hoax.

He says he hasn't been back in his office since the tweets went viral so he doesn't know what reaction he's going to get from co-workers.

He is due back in work on Monday.

Zak said the question that everyone still wants answered is "Why did she do it?" but he won't be the one to ask the culprit.

He told Newsbeat he feels like the question would need to come from the co-worker who had his lunch stolen.

"When I started tweeting I showed it to him and he loved it. So I'm leaving it in his hands, if he wants to broach the subject.

"She seems oblivious to the fact that everyone in the office knows.

"I have no idea what to expect."

Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, external, Facebook, external and Twitter, external.

Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 every weekday on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra - if you miss us you can listen back here.