The Burger King worker, who became known online after her video went viral, now says she has been fired from her job.
A Burger King worker who went viral for single-handedly running a restaurant for a full 12-hour shift has now revealed that she was fired by the fast food chain.
Nykia Hamilton, who lives in Columbia, South Carolina, became widely known online in July after videos showed her covering every part of the store on her own when no other employees were around.
The mother of three didn’t just manage one role—she handled everything, from the front counter to the drive-thru window, keeping the place going completely by herself for the whole shift.
“[She’s] doing the fries, the burger, the chicken sandwiches. She’s doing everything by herself,” the customer said in the clip, according to the New York Post.
“She’s doing everything she needs to do to make sure everybody is okay in here.”
In a later conversation with WACH Fox 57, Hamilton explained that she was left to work the store alone because of a sudden staff shortage after a co-worker unexpectedly quit without notice, leaving her as the only one available.
“Had to do the dishes, do prep, do the floor, do the front counter, drive-thru,” she said during an emotional interview, reflecting on just how overwhelming the shift had been.
Since then, Hamilton has taken to TikTok to update her followers and revealed that Burger King has now fired her after everything she went through.
“[Burger King] fired me because I’ve been late because of my kids,” the 25-year-old explained. “My kids come first. Y’all don’t pay for no babysitter, or nothing.”
She later opened up about how the sudden attention online has affected her mental health and how difficult the experience has been to deal with.
“I’m already aggravated, I’m already depressed, all of this mental s***, and motherf****** f**king with me, so leave me alone,” she said.
After losing her job, Hamilton set up a GoFundMe campaign to try to get back on her feet. At the time of writing, the fundraiser has already brought in over $64,000 in donations, showing just how many people were moved by her story.
On the fundraiser page, she shared: “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 she said she was fired, Hamilton told WACH Fox 57 that she often worked shifts lasting well over 12 hours. She explained that she couldn’t just walk away when things were overwhelming, because as a single mom, she had three children who depend on her and need her to keep pushing through.
“I be missing out on my kids’ lives when I work so much,” she said honestly. “I have to provide for them, but I really don’t have time to spend with them, and it hurts me a lot.”
The very next day after that exhausting solo shift, Hamilton was called back in again to help keep the restaurant open and running.
“I closed again by myself last night,” she admitted. “I finally got help today. 11 o’clock and will stay until close at 11.”