Request Media Kit

Anti-Ketchup Vendor Fired For Discriminating Taste

Charley Marcuse was known as the Detroit Tiger’s hot dog vendor for 15 years. Possibly Heinz’s worst enemy, he was a crooner who advertised at Comerica Park in a baritone voice, and has a strict d...
Anti-Ketchup Vendor Fired For Discriminating Taste
Written by
  • Charley Marcuse was known as the Detroit Tiger’s hot dog vendor for 15 years. Possibly Heinz’s worst enemy, he was a crooner who advertised at Comerica Park in a baritone voice, and has a strict dietary belief system he imposed on his customers; mustard only.

    (image)

    Last Thursday, the Inquisitr reported that Marcuse was fired last week by Sportservice, the Detroit Tigers’ concession company. Many fans thought it was because he busted out with a Pavarotti inspired operatic voice (which banned him from singing back in 2004), but Detroit News reported that it was because of his strong opinions on what was permissible and outlawed on a hot dog.

    (image)

    “Marcuse, at the ballpark and on Twitter, has been a strong crusader for only putting mustard on a frank. And some fans thought he got combative when they asked for ketchup. There were complaints filed.” The Detroit News said. Sportservice declined to state the reasoning behind Marcuse’s firing. Marcuse said to the Detroit News that, “It was general employee conduct.”

    “Only barbarians enjoy ketchup on hot dogs, so Marcuse is certainly to be admired for being against ketchup. But he was working in the customer service business, after all, and the customer is always right-even a customer so coarse to demand ketchup on a hot dog,” Deadspin reported.

    “I think all the fuss is as ridiculous as anybody else. I’d much rather be working the ballgame tomorrow night.” Marcuse said.

    Marcuse loved to converse with many people at the stadium, but many fans wished he wouldn’t. A common critique that he often faced was that he took himself way too seriously.

    “How seriously can you take yourself selling hot dogs? I am just a hot dog man. It’s a job I love that I would like to keep doing.”

    On Charley Marcsue’s website, the first (and trademarked) line reads, “There is no ketchup in baseball!” Apparently, Marcuse has his own line of what he believes to be “the finest mustard”, a recipe he launched back in June 2008.

    Marcuse has filed a grievance, but a hearing has been yet to be scheduled.

    America loves to stuff its gullet with 20 billion hotdogs a year.

     

    (image)

     

    (Pictures courtesy of Charley’s website, YouTube, and Twitter)

    Get the WebProNews newsletter delivered to your inbox

    Get the free daily newsletter read by decision makers

    Subscribe
    Advertise with Us

    Ready to get started?

    Get our media kit