What to know
- Durham Region-based TikTok food reviewer Kash Agbeyaka (@paymeinkashx) says he was told to “f**k off” by an employee at Chainsmoker Urban Halal BBQ after a menu mix-up led to confusion while he was trying to order a meal.
- Agbeyaka recorded the encounter after alleging he was ignored and then verbally dismissed in front of other customers, later posting the video to TikTok where it amassed over 750,000 views and sparked widespread backlash.
- Both adjoining restaurants responded publicly, with Sweet Heart Cafe clarifying the incident did not involve its staff and Chainsmoker BBQ apologizing, taking accountability, and confirming the employee had been terminated.
- Agbeyaka said he accepted the apology after being invited back to meet with the owners, emphasizing he wanted accountability and better treatment for customers rather than someone losing their job.
A TikTok influencer received reparations after an employee at an Ajax business told him to “f**k off.”
Kash Agbeyaka, a food reviewer based in Durham Region, told Now Toronto he decided to attend Sweet Heart Cafe in Ajax because he was craving brunch food on Sunday evening. He also wanted to film a restaurant review for his TikTok @paymeinkashx, as he had in the past.
When arriving at the establishment, Agbeyaka attempted to enter through the front door but a sign redirected him to a different door, which he did not realize was for the attached Chainsmoker Urban Halal BBQ restaurant.
Upon arrival at the front counter, Agbeyaka said he was unsure of what to order because the menu was showing barbecue items and not the brunch items he was expecting from the cafe. This led to Agbeyaka asking what the restaurant had to offer.
“I’m seeing the menu, and I’m seeing hamburgers, macaroni and cheese, fries, steak, ribs. I’m like, ‘What the heck? Like, where, where are the pancakes and eggs?’ That’s what I wanted. So, I was kind of confused. I’m like, ‘You know what? Let me just ask the waiter,’” Agbeyaka said.
Agbeyaka added when he initially entered the restaurant, the employee behind the counter hadn’t acknowledged him. However, Agbeyaka said he understood he was busy because it was sunset during Ramadan, the time participating Muslims break their daily fast.
“Ten minutes go by, and then people start coming after me into the restaurant and he’s helping them. I’m like, ‘No, I got here first,’” Agbeyaka said. “That’s when I said, ‘This is my first time here. What do you guys have to offer?’” Now, watching the video back again, he’s [said] ‘Offer? We have no offers,’ So, I’m not thinking he thought I probably asked if there’s a discount or any promotions, but my brain is not processing that [while I’m there.]”
That’s when the employee told Agbeyaka the rude statement.
“He’s like, ‘F**k off,’ in front of everybody,” Agbeyaka said. “That’s when I started recording, and I [say], ‘He just told me to f**k off. Is this how you guys operate here?’”
Agbeyaka said the incident was not a pleasant one.
“It’s embarrassing for me because everyone’s seeing this happen at this point, all eyes are on me now,” he said. “People were not saying anything. They put their heads down. They didn’t want to engage… didn’t want to be involved.”
Agbeyaka said eventually another customer told the employee to help him, but the employee still continued to refuse.
Despite being ignored, Agbeyaka said he didn’t plan to back down.
“Everyone in the comments is like, ‘Why didn’t you walk out? Why would you still spend your money on a restaurant that disrespected you?’” he said. “The difference between me and everybody else is I hold everyone accountable for their actions… He probably thought I was just going to walk out, leave a bad review and keep it moving. I said, ‘No, you are going to serve me today.’”
Eventually, Agbeyaka said the employee finally brought him the menu and rudely asked him what he wanted. After picking the first thing he saw off the menu for a to-go order, Agbeyaka finally left the restaurant and finished editing and recording his video in his car.
Restaurant’s response
The TikTok garnered over 750,000 views, with many users in the comments reacting to the way Agbeyaka was spoken to.
“Not a single person standing up for you made me so upset,” said one TikTok user.
Others agreed, apologizing for what Agbeyaka experienced.
Some gave the restaurant the benefit of the doubt.
“I am in no way defending his hurtful words and blatantly being ignored, but I do believe the verbal exchange came from misinterpretation,” said one TikTok user. “You asked for any available offers. He responded with, ‘We don’t have any offers.’”
“The way I saw [Agbeyaka’s] excitement turn to hurt and sadness broke me,” said another TikTok user.
Both restaurants responded to the incident in both the comment section and in separate posts on their platforms.
“We’re very sorry for what happened, Kash. We have read several messages regarding an incident at our Ajax store with one of the customers and of the staff. We wanted to clarify that it was not Sweet Heart Cafe,” the adjoining cafe clarified. “We are against any discrimination and we strive to give our best customer service.”
“I didn’t want him to be fired,” Agbeyaka said. “That wasn’t my intention, but I still wanted him to be held accountable and maybe get extra training… tell him this is wrong.”
In a post to Instagram, Chainsmoker BBQ wrote they were taking accountability and apologized to Agbeyaka.
“This behavior does not reflect who we are, and we have taken immediate action, including terminating the staff involved and reinforcing our standards,” the restaurant said.
Agbeyaka added that he was invited back to the restaurant to have dinner on Wednesday, alongside the CEO and owners of the establishment.
Some users praised the restaurant for making amends.
“NOW THIS IS HOW RESTAURANTS SHOULD TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY,” said one TikTok user.
Others were not so quick to forgive.
“To me this whole meet up looks like fake bro.. they just want to save their restaurant!”
Agbeyaka said he accepted the apology.
“Everybody deserves a second chance in life, just because one associate and one person made a mistake… shouldn’t make the company go down in business,” he said. “I’m not the type of person to take that away from a family or somebody that works so hard to build that business from the ground up… I just want [people] to take me as an example to treat paying guests with kindness and respect, always, no matter how busy you are, no matter how stressed out you are.”
