A manager at a Red Lobster location in Vineland, New Jersey, has reportedly been fired after a video of her arguing with a family that visited the restaurant for a birthday party went viral online. The employee had refused to seat the group, who arrived together as a party of 15, claiming that one of them had been rude to her. “I’m not seating you guys. It is what it is,” she said in the clip. “There’s a business card on the front. You can call and speak to somebody about it, but I’m not having it. I’m not.”
The incident was recorded by the mother of the birthday celebrant, Vinchel Lapree, who posted the video on Facebook. She claimed that the family had initially been told there would be about a 30-minute wait for a table, which they willingly accepted.
After one family member went in to ask a question, the manager suddenly “snapped” and told them she would not be seating them at all. Based on what was said in the video, it appears the rest of the family had not heard the earlier conversation between that person and the manager. They asked the employee what exactly had been said to make her deny them service, but the employee did not elaborate and simply said that the family member had been rude. She then started yelling for them to leave the restaurant.
The Incident Was Escalated to Corporate
When the family threatened to share the video with corporate to get her fired, the manager still remained unfazed and even told the woman recording that they could take a picture of her face. “I don’t care. Leave,” she shouted before walking away from the group.
According to reports shared in local community pages, the employee was later terminated from her position after the incident drew attention online. Lapree also wrote in one of her updates, “Wow yall! Thank yall! WE WAS HEARD!” and in another she thanked supporters for their encouragement during the situation. “Your kindness, love, and encouragement have meant the world to us,” the message read.
Public Reaction to the Viral New Jersey Red Lobster Incident
Many netizens on Facebook are criticizing the employee for how she reacted, with one writing, “That’s definitely not the way u handle any issues as a manager,” another commented. Another wrote, “The way i woulda grabbed a lobster and threw it at her.” A third said, “She wouldn’t even say what was said to her to refuse service …guilty.” A fourth added, “She thought she was bigger than the program.”
However, not everyone immediately sided with the family. A few viewers said the clip did not provide the full context of what happened. “Where’s the full video? Because this sounds like half a story,” one person wrote. Someone else remarked, “I’d like to see what happened before the recording.”
