A Chipotle customer in Brentwood, Washington, DC, was captured violently attacking an employee after complaining that she received the wrong order. She allegedly even threatened to come back and “stab” the workers.
The footage, posted on X, shows the outraged woman carrying an empty bowl as she pushes past workers behind the counter at the fast-food restaurant on Saturday. She briefly shakes off the employees before loading the bowl with food.
The situation further escalated when employee Roberto Hernandez tried to snatch the bowl back from her. As he reached for it, she pulled it away and slapped him across the face, sending the food items flying around the workstation. Hernandez, visibly shaken, later said that the video, which has been viewed at least eight million times, was “triggering” for him as per The New York Post.
Hernandez told WUSA9 that the woman was upset that her Uber Eats order was incorrect. She claimed her burrito bowl lacked the double meat she had ordered and demanded a refund. However, Hernandez explained that both he and his manager informed her that they were unable to process a refund and suggested she contact Uber for a resolution.
Upon reviewing the receipt, Hernandez confirmed that the order did not include double meat as claimed.
Despite the explanation, the woman became increasingly agitated and reportedly went behind the counter to prepare a new order herself. When Hernandez tried to intervene, he was attacked.
“I was mad, upset. But I’m a man, you know, I can’t hit a female,” he said. “So I walked away.”
Following the incident, Hernandez informed, the customer allegedly made online threats to the staff, telling them she would return to “stab” them and “take their life.”.
“I was scared. She was scaring my co-workers too.”
In an interview with WUSA9, the woman denied the allegations, claiming the employees refused to remake her bowl or offer a refund. She also insisted that the video was edited, where she alleged that the employees first “put their hands on her.” She argued that throwing the bowl was a reaction to being assaulted.
“I wasn’t aggressive toward them until I got assaulted. The video was cut short,”
Chipotle has since filed a police report over the alleged assault, while the woman plans to sue the fast-food chain. This attack is not the first of its kind at this food chain. Last December, a worker in North Carolina was assaulted by two customers who were informed of extra charges for chicken, and in the same month, two women in Maryland threw food and a chair at a worker.