A former Cheesecake Factory worker in Texas says she lost her job after a viral “fine dining” video brought millions of views to her service. She now claims workplace drama led to her firing.
On Aug. 7, @in_the_name_of_beauty_84 explained why she was fired in a video that has amassed 155,000 views as of this writing.
“Let me tell y’all how I got fired from the Cheesecake Factory after working for them for five years,” she said.
Why Was She Fired From the Cheesecake Factory?
The worker says she recently went viral after serving a content creator at the chain. The viral video amassed more than 11 million views and over 1 million likes. In the viral video, she provides detailed and attentive service, leading to many viewers praising her abilities.
“The dining experience was top tier,” she says. “When I tell you I crossed all my T’s and dotted all my I’s, he was really pleased with my service.”
She believed the attention would benefit the restaurant. Instead, she says management and co-workers criticized her. The worker says a separate incident ultimately led to her termination.
She says that on July 2, guests ordered an apple crisp dessert. According to her, the restaurant typically prepares desserts within five to 10 minutes. However, she claims the dessert took nearly 25 minutes because the location lacked enough staff.
She says she repeatedly asked the bakery employee about the delay. She says she eventually asked a manager for help but claims he refused because he was cleaning tables.
“At this point, I realized that if you want something done right, you’ve got to do it yourself,” she says.
The worker says she then returned to the bakery station and asked what else the woman behind the counter needed to finish the dessert. She says the employee asked her to retrieve a dish for the ice cream. The exchange became heated, according to @in_the_name_of_beauty_84. She says the employee told her to stop talking and refused to continue the conversation.
“Finally, I prepare the rest of the dessert on my own, bring it to my guest, and we finish out our shift,” she says.
A week later, the worker says HR summoned her to the office and suspended her. She claims the bakery employee filed a complaint, along with statements from three or four other employees. One employee allegedly submitted a statement despite not even being at the restaurant to witness the original exchange.
Despite losing her job, she says she found another position by the following Monday.
Was Cheesecake Factory Within Its Legal Right to Fire Her?
Whether Cheesecake Factory acted legally depends on the circumstances surrounding the firing. Texas generally follows at-will employment rules, which give employers broad discretion to terminate workers. However, employers cannot fire workers for illegal reasons, such as discrimination or retaliation for protected activity.
Based on the worker’s account, arguing with a co-worker or creating workplace conflict would generally provide a lawful reason for termination. The company could also consider complaints from other employees when making its decision.
Workplace conflicts that involve customer service, co-worker disputes, and complaints occur frequently across the restaurant industry. Unless she can show that Cheesecake Factory violated an employment agreement or fired her for an unlawful reason, the company likely had broad legal authority to terminate her.
Subplot News reached out to @in_the_name_of_beauty_84 and the customer from the viral video via TikTok comment and direct message. We reached out to The Cheesecake Factory via email. We will update this story if they respond.
@in_the_name_of_beauty_84 Stand your ground.. jobs exist everywhere… Sooo their loss!!! #server #blessed #knowyourworth #movingon #winning ♬ original sound – In The Name of Beauty
