An employee at Burger King who gained online attention for single-handedly operating a restaurant for 12 hours straight has announced that she has been dismissed by the fast food company.
Nykia Hamilton became an internet sensation in July after taking charge of all positions at a Burger King outlet in Columbia, South Carolina.
Indeed, the mother of three managed everything, from the front counter to the drive-thru, all on her own.
“[She’s] doing the fries, the burger, the chicken sandwiches. She’s doing everything by herself,” a customer commented in a video shared by the New York Post.
“She’s doing everything she needs to do to make sure everybody is okay in here.”
In an interview with WACH Fox 57, Hamilton explained that the reason she was working alone was due to a sudden staff shortage after a colleague left without much notice.
“Had to do the dishes, do prep, do the floor, do the front counter, drive-thru,” she expressed emotionally during the interview.
Recently, Hamilton informed her TikTok followers that she has been terminated from her position at Burger King.
The 25-year-old said, “[Burger King] fired me because I’ve been late because of my kids. My kids come first. Y’all don’t pay for no babysitter, or nothing.”
Hamilton further discussed how her sudden rise to fame has affected her mental well-being.
“I’m already aggravated, I’m already depressed, all of this mental s***, and motherf****** messing with me, so leave me alone,” she stated.
Following her job loss, the 25-year-old initiated a GoFundMe campaign and has received over $64,000 in donations so far.
On the fundraiser page, she wrote: “I am a 25-year-old single mom of 3 who works 2 jobs. I just went viral for working on TikTok. If you wanna contribute, it’s ok. Thank y’all for the support.”
“I wasn’t expecting my life to change how it did. I really do everything for my kids.”
Before her reported dismissal, Hamilton shared with WACH Fox 57 that she often works shifts exceeding 12 hours, stating she cannot easily stop working when situations become challenging because she has three children to support.
“I be missing out on my kids’ lives when I work so much,” she confessed. “I have to provide for them, but I really don’t have time to spend with them, and it hurts me a lot.”
The day after her solo shift, Hamilton was called back to maintain the restaurant’s operations.
“I closed again by myself last night,” she shared. “I finally got help today. 11 o’clock and will stay until close at 11.”
“We just don’t have any employees. Nobody wants to work anymore.”
UNILAD has reached out to Burger King for comment.