Synopsis

At Shenaniganz, a busy suburban chain restaurant, longtime waiter Dean finds himself questioning the direction of his life while training a nervous new employee. During a chaotic shift, the staff endure demanding customers, workplace rivalries, romantic complications, and the crude games they use to escape boredom. As the night wears on, Dean must decide whether to remain comfortable or finally move forward.

Factoids & Trivia

• The screenplay grew out of writer Rob McKittrick's experiences working in restaurants, including a three-year stint at a Roadhouse Grill in Orlando. He drew on the behavior of coworkers and customers when creating Shenaniganz and its staff.

• McKittrick spent approximately eight years trying to bring the screenplay to the screen. The project was delayed by changes in producers, the acquisition of Artisan Entertainment by Lions Gate, and the disruption caused by the September 11, 2001 attacks.

• The film was produced on a reported budget of about $3 million. It opened in the United States on October 7, 2005, and earned more than $6 million during its first weekend before reaching approximately $18.6 million worldwide.

• Shenaniganz was filmed inside a converted Bennigan's restaurant in Kenner, Louisiana. The location was later renovated and reportedly became a Verizon Wireless retail store.

• Dane Cook's brief appearance was largely improvised. He was reportedly not given a conventional script for his character's short sequence.

• The two-disc home-video release included an unrated version, deleted scenes, outtakes, and several restaurant-themed featurettes, including a documentary about the realities of waiting tables.

• Despite unfavorable contemporary reviews, the film developed a cult following, particularly among restaurant workers who recognized its workplace humor and exaggerated version of service-industry life.

• A direct-to-DVD sequel, Still Waiting..., was released in 2009. Its production involved Jeff Balis, one of the original film's producers.