EAST GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A confrontation between customers and staff at Carolina Lowcountry Kitchen in East Grand Rapids has sparked debate after a video of the incident was viewed more than a million times on TikTok.
The video was posted by Jessica Peña and Ariana Dunavan, both 22 years old, who say they were asked to leave the restaurant more than a week ago after an issue involving alcohol service.
According to the women, Jessica ordered an alcoholic drink and Ariana took a sip from it. They say the restaurant owner told them that wasn't allowed and Jessica was accused of using a fake ID.
"We weren't in this restaurant for probably more than 15 minutes before we were kicked out, so we were confused about what we did," the women said.
The pair say they apologized but were later asked to leave before receiving their food.
"That's why I knew just you know start recording because I didn't know where it was gonna go," they said.
Restaurant's Full Statement
Carolina Lowcountry Kitchen released the following statement:
"Recently, a video circulated on social media showing an encounter between a team member and two patrons. As the video presents only part of what happened, we want to share additional context.
Prior to where the video begins, the patrons violated alcohol age-verification laws, which is why they were asked to leave. We regret the situation escalated, but we take these laws very seriously as violating them could put our license and the safety of others at risk. Since the incident, our team and their families – including minor children – have received a troubling number of threats. While we understand people may have strong reactions given what they saw, these threats have been extremely alarming.
From the beginning, we have worked to welcome all guests to enjoy our low country cooking in a friendly atmosphere. We remain committed to this and thank our wonderful community for its continued support."
The women dispute the restaurant's claims about age verification.
"I'm 22, she's 22. She never asked us for an ID. She asked for her ID and then said her ID was fake," they said.
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Social Media
The women explained their decision to post the video on TikTok rather than leave a traditional review.
"We're 22. Like, we're gonna take our experience and run to TikTok. That's what our generation, that's what we do. We're not gonna go post a google review," they said.
"I don't want anybody else to go through exactly what we just went through. It's unfair."
The women say they've since received messages from other people who claim they had similar experiences at the restaurant.
Allegations of Physical Contact
In the interview, the women allege the restaurant owner made physical contact during the confrontation.
Ariana says her phone was damaged when the drink was thrown and cash in her purse was ruined when the liquid spilled into it.
Threats and Harassment
The women say they haven't seen any death threats personally and have told viewers on social media not to harass the restaurant.
"We haven't seen any death threats, and we've told people like you know, don't harass this girl," Peña said.
The women say they want the restaurant to issue a public apology, not just to them but to other customers they claim were treated poorly.
Police Report Filed
The women say they filed a police report following the incident.
FOX 17 News has reached out to the East Grand Rapids Department of Public Safety to confirm a police report was made and is waiting to hear back.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
