Credit: GoFundMe/Facebook
Customer Fired From Her Job After Leaving ‘Disgusting’ Tip For Waiter
A woman has sparked widespread outrage online after allegedly leaving a cruel message in place of a tip for a restaurant server.
The incident unfolded at Cazuelas Mexican Restaurant & Cantina in Columbus and quickly went viral after an employee shared a photo of the receipt on social media.
Former realtor identified after receipt goes viral
The customer was soon identified as Stephanie Lovins, a 49-year-old former realtor from Blacklick, Ohio.
Lovins was previously affiliated with Century 21, although her profile has since been removed from the company’s website.
Reports also indicate that her voicemail no longer references the real estate brand, while her cell phone was allegedly disconnected following the intense public backlash.
Efforts to reach Lovins and her husband, who co-owns an electrical company, have reportedly been unsuccessful.
Responding to the controversy, a spokesperson for Century 21 said: “We are aware of the situation with the agent in question. Hate has no place within the Century 21 brand, and we are taking this very seriously.
“After investigating the situation and connecting with the respective broker, as all companies affiliated with the Century 21 brand are independently owned and operated, we can confirm that this agent is no longer affiliated with the brand.”
The company further stated that Lovins had ended her association with the brokerage earlier in the year, before the incident occurred.
Although Lovins has since removed her social media profiles, screenshots of comments allegedly made by her continue to circulate online.
Social media posts attempt to explain controversy
Following the backlash, Lovins reportedly denied involvement in the incident.
In a Facebook post, she allegedly wrote: “My credit card was lost/stolen, and someone attempted to use it. Thanks for the notifications! This has been reported through my bank.”
A similar statement later appeared on LinkedIn, where she reportedly said: “Thank you for all the recent notifications of scammers and profile hackers! I recently discovered a lost/missing credit card and an attempted use/purchase. I appreciate your patience while I manage the situation.”
Despite those claims, restaurant staff insist witnesses recognized Lovins as the person responsible for leaving the message on the receipt.
Restaurant staff defend server after hateful message
The receipt in question, which caused all the backlash, showed a horrible message allegedly written by Lovins to her server, which read: “ZERO (tips), YOU SUCK,” adding: “I HOPE TRUMP DEPORTS YOU!!!”
Speaking to local outlet WCMH, Cazuelas head of marketing Fabio Oribo explained: “Apparently this lady came in and Ricardo, who is a great person, was taking care of her. He only works one day a week, which is Sunday. He has two jobs. From what I hear, she wasn’t happy about a coupon or something like that.”
Oribo continued: “It’s just not right, just not right. He’s a really good person, and like I said, we all … come here every day to do our job, which is to serve people and have a good time.”
In the wake of the incident, supporters launched a GoFundMe campaign for Ricardo, the server involved.
Originally created with a goal of $1,000, the fundraiser has since exceeded $39,000.
Organizer Anna Overman described Ricardo as a dedicated worker who was simply doing his job when he became the target of the offensive message.
She encouraged people to help ‘drown out hate with love’ by donating and showing support for the restaurant employee.
Business owner caught in confusion as fundraiser tops $39,000
The controversy also brought unwanted attention to Lovins’ husband, Donnie Lovins.
By Wednesday morning, his Facebook account had reportedly been locked down after facing scrutiny online.
At the same time, his listed company, Rite Way Electric in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, became mistakenly linked to a different business with the same name based in South Carolina.
The mix-up led to criticism being directed at South Carolina business owner Jeff Costa.
Addressing the confusion on social media, Costa wrote: “If you are coming to this site to express your distaste for a person in Ohio, it is not me. This company is located in South Carolina and I am the owner and only employee. The person you are looking for has linked my page to his. I will be working on resolving the issue.”
He later thanked those who corrected the misinformation and deleted their comments after learning his business had no connection to the Ohio incident.
Costa also told Daily Mail that he had been trying to contact both Donnie Lovins and Facebook in an effort to clear up the misunderstanding.
Reflecting on the sudden surge of attention, he said: “It used to be a side business of mine, and I’ve just kept the site up, just in case I ever go back into it. So I haven’t posted anything … since 2013, and then all of a sudden, I see all this activity.”
While Costa admitted he found the situation “kind of humorous,” he noted that the confusion could have caused serious problems had the business still been operating full-time.
Related Article: Olive Garden Server Fired After Receiving $700 Tip
Related Article: DoorDash Customer Shares Footage Of Driver’s Livid Response To Being Given 25% Tip
Want more stuff like this?
Get the best viral stories straight into your inbox!
