Burger King worker went viral for running entire store all alone — and people say that's the problem

A TikTok video showing a single Burger King employee managing every station in a Columbia, SC, location has gone viral, but viewers aren’t cheering the hustle but are questioning the system that made it necessary. Nykia Hamilton, 25, a fast-food worker and mother of three, was left running the entire store alone during a 12-hour shift after a coworker quit unexpectedly. In the clip shared July 6 by user @Dejlatae, customers watch as Hamilton manages the fries, burgers, chicken sandwiches, drive-thru, all by herself.

Hamilton told WACH News, "One of my employees just quit on me, and they didn’t have anyone else to come in, so I had to work by myself and close by myself. Had to do the dishes, do prep, do the floor, do the front counter, drive‑thru." Hamilton frequently works 12-hour days to support her children. Through tears, she explained the toll on her personal life, "I'm missing out on my kids’ lives when I work so much. I have to provide for them, but I really don’t have time to spend with them, and it hurts me a lot."

Despite finally getting backup the next day, understaffing persisted. "I closed again by myself last night. I finally got help today. Eleven o’clock and will stay until close at 11. We just don’t have any employees. Nobody wants to work anymore," she said, as reported by The New York Post. Burger King later clarified that working alone is against company policy. "At Burger King, it is our policy that all company and franchise-owned restaurants require more than one Team Member to be working per shift," a spokesperson said in a press release by WACH News. The company confirmed they are "working with the Franchisee of this location to understand what happened and take any necessary action."

Hamilton's situation is not unique, as many service workers face such situations in the US. A detailed Human Rights Watch report titled The Gig Trap uncovered how algorithmic control, unpredictable pay, lack of benefits, and the misclassification of workers as contractors create deep financial instability. These conditions also make it harder for workers to unionize or push back against poor working conditions. Hamilton, who previously had difficulty finding work due to a criminal record, expressed gratitude for the job that helps support her family. "I wouldn’t have a job…and by grace of God, she gave me a job. So that’s the only reason why I stayed for her," she said, referencing her supportive manager. While Hamilton’s effort drew praise for perseverance, a growing chorus of voices across social media platforms is calling out the corporate systems that allowed it to happen.

The video by WACH ignited debate even on Reddit after being posted by u/rererowr. u/Soft_Bowl7628 wrote, "She was cooking? Earn the cook's pay. Managing? Earn the manager's pay. This is just as much the company abusing their staff and running with the bare minimum (granted, to the extreme in this situation) just so they can maximize profits." u/JayAndViolentMob shared, "Still got paid the same. And won't be appreciated. Would likely have been fired or docked pay if she left." u/MaleHooker commented, "Burger King should be fined over this. I'm pretty sure there are safety laws against working alone." u/Al_Tilly_the_Bum added, "Pure hustle? How about pure exploitation? She will get $0 more for working alone, but the owner is saving tons because he only has to pay the wages of one person."