Skip To...
On TikTok, a group of Black San Francisco diners are claiming that they were subjected to a “horrible racist experience” during their evening out at a Cheesecake Factory because of how they were treated by the staff. The man who posted the video said he had gone out with his sister and his girlfriend for a simple dinner after they had spent the day shopping. When they were ready to be seated at the restaurant, a staff member led them all the way to the back, to a dark corner booth. But because of the man’s big frame, the booth made him uncomfortable, so they asked to be moved to a nearby table. The staff didn’t object, and they were easily repositioned.
However, the service that followed did not go as smoothly. According to the man, while every table around them appeared to be receiving full service, with drinks, appetizers, and meals arriving in a timely manner, their own drinks took 10 to 15 minutes to arrive. And even then, only two were brought to the table. His girlfriend’s strawberry lemonade never came until his sister got up to ask for it herself. Their appetizers also came out “staggered” – one first, then the second nearly 15 minutes later.
By the time their entrées finally came, only two plates were brought out. His burger order was incorrect and had missing ingredients. His sister’s was also wrong. At that point, the man and his party no longer wanted to eat any of the food at the restaurant and requested to have some items packed to go just so they could leave.
More on What Happened
The man tried to return certain items, including a side dish he said he would not be eating, and asked that they be removed from the check. He also requested to speak with a manager. However, neither the to-go containers nor a manager arrived.
Eventually, after asking to speak with a manager multiple times and never meeting one, they walked to the front of the restaurant to ask again. There, they were told by a worker that a manager had already visited their table. The man said that when they insisted that no one had come, the employee allegedly became irritated. “That’s when I started filming,” the man said in his video, explaining that he did not want the employee accusing them of anything off-camera.
The Confrontation Caught on Camera
In the clip, the man’s girlfriend is seen trying to explain their side of the story to the female employee, insisting, “Why would we sit here and lie to you?… I’m telling you, three people are telling you it did not happen. So it didn’t happen.” When she felt she was not making any progress with the other woman, she said sharply, “You are frustrating me and you are not listening. And you keep rolling your eyes. When you first came to our table the first time, you were disrespectful.”
The disagreement escalates when the staff member abruptly says she will involve the police. “You’re going to call the police?” the customers asked, clearly stunned by what they were hearing. The employee says yes, but then notices she is being recorded, so she raises her hand toward the camera to block her face and tells the man he could not film her. When they do not comply, she walks away, leaving them shocked by how the situation had unfolded.
A manager eventually spoke with them briefly, but according to the diners, he offered no apology, did not address the service issues, and simply told them everything was fine and that they could leave.
What Netizens Are Saying About the San Francisco Cheesecake Factory Incident
In the comments section of the man’s TikTok post, viewers had strong reactions to the exchange caught on camera. One person wrote, “I can’t believe she said that and tried to walk away like she was the victim in this situation.” Another said, “Customer service is dead. The amount of people thinking it’s okay to roll their eyes at a customer is INSANE.” Someone else commented, “I believe you, the lady gave you such a dirty look.”
However, a few viewers didn’t think that they had experienced racism at the restaurant. “Why is this racist? What did I miss?” one netizen asked. A second wondered, “Why is it always turned into a race thing.” A third remarked, “A worker giving bad customer service doesn’t automatically mean they are racist.”
