'They just didn't want to': South Carolina Publix deli runs out of banana peppers for customer's sub

Tue, November 11, 2025 at 6:00 AM

After learning her local Publix deli was out of banana peppers for her sub, a South Carolina woman questions why the staff couldn't simply walk over to the aisle and grab a replacement. Apparently, she's not the only one with this question.

TikTok user Galina Mamontova (@galinamamontova) posted the video with her Publix deli question on Sep. 24. She starts the video with a simple question. "Can someone at Publix please tell me how y'all run out of things at the deli?" she asks.

Mamontova explained that she just went to Publix for a sub and asked the deli worker to add banana peppers to it. "She was like, 'We're out of banana peppers.' I was like, 'OK, no problem, I'll just get jalapenos,'" she says. "But I thought about it and I was like, 'I really want banana peppers.'"

She decided that she could just go to the banana pepper aisle on her way out of the store and add them to her sub at home. But then it occurred to her that the deli workers at Publix could easily do the same thing. "How am I willing to just go to the aisle, get banana peppers, and call it a day, but how are they not able to?" she asks.

Viewers React to South Carolina Woman's Publix Sub Question

In the comments, former and current Publix employees weighed in on the question. One segment of the commenters said that the deli worker or the manager can actually pull product off of the shelves to serve customers.

"I guarantee if you ask the store manager, they will grab a bottle of them off the shelf and take it to the deli," wrote one person. "Signed, a former store manager."

A second viewer agreed. "The deli manager should have already done that."

However, another segment of the commenters said it's not as easy as it might sound. "The deli has to order the toppings from the supplier," one viewer wrote. "Once we run out of those, we're out. If a customer wants them and we're out, we can pull them from the shelf to meet your needs. The banana peppers that are on the shelf are not the same ones the deli gets in for subs. It's just a different process and not as cut and dry as you would think."

Can the Publix Deli Take Toppings from the Grocery Section?

While it's not common or particularly cost effective, sometimes restaurateurs use grocery store ingredients to supplement their inventories. So it doesn't appear government regulation would bar this activity.

Furthermore, according to the Publix deli page, customers can choose from the selection of meats and cheeses at the deli counter, and they can also even look around the store and pick other brands that they'd like to try. The deli worker will slice those up to create a customized sandwich.

Although the page doesn't specifically mention banana peppers, it seems reasonable to assume that the policy extends to toppings. Either way, as Mamontova proved with her video, it never hurts to at least ask.

All Hip Hop contacted Mamontova via TikTok comment and direct message for comment.