Some here might not understand that rules for restaurants are different from place to place-maybe they think those muffins can be put out to serve for several days.
I’m not familiar with the rules other city health departments use regarding cooked food left over at closing time-last time I had a friend who owned a restaurant in the city near here-SA-anything left over that had been cooked there and had already been put out-like bread items-had to be tossed at closing time-she and her kids took home some leftovers, but the rest had to be 86’d or she’d get fined.
If the rule at that Cracker Barrel is the same, isn’t giving it away more sensible-not to mention more charitable-than wasting perfectly good food?
In NYC, I think all leftovers have to be tossed or you would be fined. I was raised not to waste food - I was taught it was a sin. We weren’t allowed to make Easter eggs because it wasted food that could have gone to hungry people. So it has always infuriated me to see the waste due to these crazy health regulations.