Chef Disappointed New Busboy Still Searching for "Soufflé Pump"

New York, NY – Chef Gerard “Gerry” Fitzpatrick of Restaurant Marc, a midtown hotspot, betrayed internal frustration after a routine hospitality industry ritual involving a “soufflé pump” resulted in the disappearance of his new busboy, Timmy Peterson, 19.

The normally imperturbable Fitzpatrick had anticipated a good laugh amongst the kitchen staff, not an evening of overflowing bussing stations.

"It was supposed to be, you know, the classic joke..." recounted Chef Fitzpatrick, wiping his brow with a chef's towel.

"You send the new kid on a wild goose chase... You know, 'Hey kid, run across the street to Chez Henri and ask the kitchen staff if you can borrow their "left-handed sauté pan", or "bacon stretcher", or a "soufflé pump."'

"We went with the "soufflé pump".

"I mean, it's a rite of passage... And most kids figure it out. They come back in, like, ten minutes... Some even before they get to the first restaurant!

"Sure, they're a little embarrassed, but then everyone has a good laugh and they're part of the team.

"Well, Timmy never came back."

According to Fitzpatrick, Peterson was dispatched around 4:30 PM on Tuesday to nearby upscale French eatery, Chez Henri, with instructions to retrieve their "soufflé pump," ostensibly to "aerate the evening dessert special."

When Peterson had not returned by 6:00 PM, and multiple calls to his cell went straight to voicemail, Fitzpatrick's amusement began to curdle into logistical concern.

"I'm like, where the fuck is this kid?," the chef continued, gesturing absently with a pair of tongs.

"I've pulled that trick on at least two dozen newbies over the years... They always figure it out...

"Fucking Gen Z."

Sources at Chez Henri, which is on 50th Street and Madison, confirmed a young man matching Timmy's description did inquire with the kitchen staff about a "soufflé pump" shortly after 4:30 PM, and was told that it had just been lent out to Cafe Le Monde, which is on the Upper West Side.

"The kid just gave me a worried look, nodded and ran off in that direction," said Jean Dubois, Chez Henri's veteran maître d'.

"You'd think at that age they'd just know that soufflés rise on their own with tiny air bubble and egg whites, not from being 'pumped' with some apparatus.

"I guess not."

The disappearance led to Timmy's parents being called. Then, after 24 hours had passed, staff at Restaurant Marc confirmed a missing persons report was reluctantly filed with the NYPD.

"We are investigating all nearby restaurants and bars," stated Officer Maria Rodriguez, while trying to keep a straight face. "It's possible he's still looking for the pump...

"Or maybe something more sinister happened."

Fitzpatrick maintains his primary grievance is not the missing kid, but the disruption of a meticulously planned evening of restaurant operations.

"Not only were we fucked for last night's service, now I'm down a busboy. Plus, I had to bus a few tables myself last night! It completely threw off my timing for several orders.

"Frankly, I wasn't expecting this...

"Maybe I should have known when the kid clocked in, mentioned he was thirsty and asked if we had a gluten-free water option."