Joseph Jessee drives a car that speaks more for his job than he ever could. Slashed tires, stolen keys, ruined toppers, dents all over and in places no one would want to know. Mob hits? Not quite. He is a delivery driver at Fat Sandwich, a restaurant highlight on campus where many students let late-night parties continue for its original bulk of food. But students may not have the same considerations for the establishment and its employees.

“It can be a living nightmare,” said Jessee, who works the night shift from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. several days each week. “After a certain hour, you see a certain side of people that you never would’ve considered outside of a horror story. Their minds go AWOL.”

Belligerent customers are common at Fat Sandwich on any given day, according to Jessee and other employees. Jessee’s car faces vandalism regularly and employees inside the restaurant often deal with violent and careless customers. Fights broke out between parents and students over Dads Weekend, and clean-up usually extends beyond spilled food. The bathrooms inside now close after 10 p.m. due to over $5,000 in property damage from sinks ripped from their pipes and wrecked dry walls.

“It’s college, and everyone obviously wants to have a good time,” said Cameron Bales, an employee of Fat Sandwich. “But people need to have some sense of control or be aware of what they’re doing because we’re the ones who hold responsibility for the consequences.”

For Jessee, the night shifts at Fat Sandwich are only a small part of his long days. In addition to working numerous shifts each week, he is also a full-time student at Parkland College and a father. He uses his delivery money to pay for tuition and provide for his five-year-old son, although hardships on the job create issues.

“I have a son to feed, and I can’t make money for the things I need when someone messes with my job,” Jessee said. “Or when other problems prevent me from getting home ‘til four or five in the morning, it creates further conflicts for schoolwork and time with my son. Bad things happen, and it really wears thin on me.”

Jessee said that he grew up in a rough neighborhood in the Champaign-Urbana area. He emphasized his hopes to provide a better life for his son and plans for the future.

“Life with my son – I love it. It makes me feel like I’m doing things and motivates me to keep going,” Jessee said. “I’ve been stagnant in the past, but now I know you can’t get anything done by whining or not doing anything.”

Since he became the night-shift delivery driver, Jessee has developed habits to help his shifts run smoothly. He specifically times orders so that he can make multiple deliveries at a time and routes them in the most efficient way to save on gas. Before each delivery, he calls customers ahead of time so that they can prepare for his arrival.

“But all of this is common sense and easy,” he admits. “The real issues come in when the orders never call you back.”

Despite the hardships put on the employees at Fat Sandwich, Jessee said there are parts of the job he enjoys.

“Most of the people who work here are hilarious and we can work around unsavory customers,” Jessee said with a grin. “The money’s usually good and it’s always a bonus to have regular customers that are polite and considerate.”

In addition to the positives, Fat Sandwich employees spoke of Jessee’s good nature.

“He’s hilarious and great to be around,” said Jamie Applegate, one of the Fat Sandwich managers. “He’ll even help out behind the counter. You won’t meet many people like him.”

Bales often works with Jessee at Fat Sandwich.

“God forbid how he, or any human being, could work here for two years,” he joked.

Although Jessee and other Fat Sandwich employees expect a surprise or conflict on any given night, they still want the courtesy the business deserves from its customers. 

“Don’t lose your respect for another human being that’s working,” Jessee said. “We’re people, just like you.”

Adlai can be reached at [email protected].