Mom of 3 Burger King worker who was forced to run store alone fired by franchise

A South Carolina single mother who went viral for single-handedly running a Burger King has been fired, a move she says came after repeated tardiness due to childcare responsibilities.

Nykia Hamilton, 25, gained national attention in July when a TikTok video showed her managing an entire Burger King restaurant in Columbia by herself — taking orders, cooking, and cleaning — amid a major staffing shortage. The footage sparked an outpouring of support for Hamilton, a mother of three, who regularly worked 12-hour shifts to support her family.

However, just weeks after the video’s release, Hamilton announced in an emotional TikTok on August 8 that she had been let go from her job. She claimed her termination was the result of being late to work, which she attributed to caring for her children.

“My kids come first,” she said in the video. “Y’all don’t pay for no babysitter or nothing.”

Breaking down in tears, Hamilton described the emotional and mental toll of balancing motherhood with long shifts. “I be missing out on my kids’ lives when I work so much,” she said. “I have to provide for them, but I really don’t have time to spend with them, and it hurts me a lot.”

She recalled being left to run the restaurant solo on multiple occasions, even covering the closing shift alone after an employee quit and no replacements were available. “Had to do the dishes, do prep, do the floor, do the front counter, drive-thru,” she told WACH News.

Despite the demanding conditions, Hamilton said she was grateful for the job, especially given the challenges of finding work with a criminal record. “By the grace of God, [my manager] gave me a job. So that’s the only reason why I stayed — for her,” she said.

Burger King confirmed Hamilton’s termination in a statement to The Post, saying she was let go by the franchisee for “repeated attendance issues.”

“No Team Member should ever be left to run a restaurant alone, even for a short period of time,” the company said. “We’re disappointed that our policy, which requires more than one Team Member per shift, wasn’t followed.”

Supporters have continued to rally behind Hamilton online, urging donations to her GoFundMe, which has raised over $81,000 to help support her and her children.

Hamilton has not commented further at this time.