Burger King Worker Nykia Hamilton Goes Viral, Then Gets Fired

Nykia Hamilton, a mother of three from Columbia, South Carolina, went viral this week after a video showed her running an entire Burger King restaurant alone—handling the drive-thru, front counter, and kitchen. “She’s doing everything by herself,” said a stunned customer in the clip. “She’s making sure everybody is okay in here.”

But the story took a turn when Hamilton revealed on TikTok that she had been fired for repeated tardiness due to childcare challenges. “My kids come first,” she said. “Y’all don’t pay for no babysitter.”

A GoFundMe launched in her support has already raised over $108,000.

Burger King confirmed her dismissal, clarifying that franchisees—not the company—make hiring decisions. “The individual involved is no longer employed due to repeated attendance issues,” said a spokesperson.

Regarding the viral video, they added, “No team member should ever be left to run a restaurant alone… That’s not how we operate.” The company expressed disappointment that its staffing policy wasn’t followed and emphasized efforts to ensure better support across all locations.

Hamilton’s story continues to spark debate on single parenthood, low-wage labor, and corporate accountability.