Burger King Employee Who Went Viral for Running Restaurant Alone Launches GoFundMe After Firing

She said she was late to work because she was taking care of her kids.

August 17, 2025

(Photo by Mike Campbell/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The viral Burger King worker who went viral for saying she was running a South Carolina location by herself has announced that she’s been fired from the fast-food chain and launched a GoFundMe.

In a TikTok video shared on Aug. 8, Nykia Hamilton shared the emotional announcement while sitting in her car.

"[Burger King] fired me because I’ve been late because of my kids,” said the mom of three children. “My kids come first. Y’all don’t pay for no babysitter, or nothing.”

Getting increasingly emotional, Hamilton explained her frustration with people who have commented about her online since she went viral and how it’s impacting her mental state.

“I’m already aggravated, I’m already depressed, all of this mental shit, and motherfuckers fucking with me, so leave me alone,” she said while crying. “I ain’t want no fame, no money, none of this shit.”

Hamilton launched a GoFundMe after losing her job. At the time of this writing, the fundraiser had raised more than $57,000, very close to its $60,000 goal.

In the description of the post, Hamilton thanked people for helping her out.

“I am a 25-year-old single mom of 3 who works 2 jobs,” she wrote. “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,” she added. “I really do everything for my kids.”

Hamilton went viral in July with a video that showed her running the entire restaurant alone at a Burger King in Columbia, South Carolina. She later explained the situation to WACH.

“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,” Hamilton said. “Had to do the dishes, do prep, do the floor, do the front counter, drive-thru.”

Hamilton revealed to the news station that she was working 12 hour shifts to support her kids.

“I be missing out on my kids’ lives when I work so much,” Hamilton said. “I have to provide for them, but I really don’t have time to spend with them, and it hurts me a lot.”