Burger King employee reveals ‘real’ reason she was fired after going viral for running store alone for 12 hours

Nykia Hamilton, a 25-year-old mother of three, was fired from her job at Burger King shortly after her story gained widespread attention online. She became well-known last month after a video went viral showing her running an entire Burger King restaurant in Columbia, South Carolina, by herself for 12 hours.

During that time, she handled everything—taking orders at the front counter, working the drive-thru, and preparing the food, including fries, burgers, and chicken sandwiches. Customers praised her for doing everything she could to keep the store running.

Hamilton explained that the reason she was alone that day was because of a sudden staff shortage when a co-worker left without much notice. Despite her effort and dedication, she was later fired.

According to her, Burger King let her go due to her being late to work on several occasions. She said her lateness was often caused by difficulties finding childcare for her young children, especially during her long shifts, some of which lasted up to 12 hours.

After her story went viral, many people supported her, and she set up a GoFundMe page after being encouraged to do so by her followers. So far, it has raised over \$132,000.

Hamilton said she is very grateful for the outpouring of kindness and plans to use the money to buy a home and take care of her children. She also mentioned receiving several job offers, including one from Target, as well as opportunities in hospitality, insurance, and distribution.

However, not everyone has been supportive. Hamilton said she has faced negative comments online, which have even affected her son. She tries to focus on the positive side of the situation and continue moving forward for the sake of her family.

Burger King issued a statement saying that no employee should ever have to run a restaurant alone and that it was a violation of their policies. They explained that the decision to fire her was made by the franchise owner, who cited repeated attendance issues as the reason. The company said they aim to ensure all their restaurants have enough staff and support to provide a proper working environment and good service for their customers.