Burger King has issued a statement after a viral video showed one of its employees running an entire restaurant on her own for more than 12 hours—only to later be dismissed from her job.
The worker, 25-year-old Nykia Hamilton, became the subject of widespread praise after a TikTok video captured her singlehandedly managing a Burger King in Columbia, South Carolina. In the clip, she is seen taking orders, preparing food, handling the drive-thru, and cleaning—all without assistance from other staff members.
Customers who witnessed the situation expressed both shock and admiration, with many calling her dedication extraordinary. Hamilton later explained that she was doing her best to keep things going despite being alone, noting that as a single mother of three she was motivated by the need to provide for her children. “At the end of the day, I do it for them,” she said. “I’ve got three kids to take care of. I still got to feed them, and I’ve got a child about to go to school. You got to do what you got to do.”
However, Hamilton revealed that she no longer works for the company, saying she was fired for being late to shifts. She explained that her childcare responsibilities sometimes made punctuality difficult. News of her dismissal sparked a wave of support online, with a GoFundMe campaign set up on her behalf raising more than $90,000 to assist her and her family.