Two TikTok food influencers had an uncomfortable interaction at Carolina Lowcountry Kitchen in East Grand Rapids, Michigan — and now they’re alleging that their experience may have been motivated by racism. However, many people in their comments are questioning whether their account of the incident actually qualifies as prejudice.
The two women identify as biracial and Latin American. From the looks of things, one of them, @analovesfood, does not primarily review restaurants but instead posts videos of food she enjoys. Her follower count and engagement rate suggest she is a micro-influencer, but a video she posted on July 24 went viral, gaining more than 1 million views. It showed her and her friend having a confrontation with a woman they identified as the owner of Carolina Lowcountry Kitchen.
The video begins abruptly with the woman telling the two that she does not appreciate their attitude. The two friends then turn toward the people watching their video and say, “Make sure y’all don’t come here.” The owner then tells them it is time to leave.
They were escorted out of the building
However, one of the women had not finished her drink, and staff members can be seen taking it from her. The staff member then pours the drink onto the ground while telling the two women, “You’re done.” The pair are then escorted out of the building.
@analovesfoods Karen poured water all over my second phone too and broke it 😂 #karensoftiktok #carolinalowcountrykitchen
♬ original sound – Analovesfoods
Very few users appeared to side with the women. Many called them out for allegedly being rude. One user wrote, “Go watch the other side of the story on their business page. Y’all deserved to be refused service, and they 100% can refuse to serve you and ask you to leave.”
The restaurant released a statement that read:
“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.”
In the post where the two women explained their side, they said one of them had ordered an alcoholic drink and was subsequently asked for identification. The other ordered a non-alcoholic cucumber lemonade but later decided to take a sip of her friend’s alcoholic beverage.
They said the owner then approached their table and told them they were not allowed to share drinks. According to their account, the owner then accused them of presenting a fake ID to purchase alcohol. One of the women said, “I feel like we got treated pretty bad. Like, I’m Black and white, she’s Mexican and Cuban, so it’s just like, I don’t know if she was intimidated by us or what.”
The two influencers got little support
The women also claimed that when the owner poured out the drink, their purses were on a chair and one of their phones was drenched and destroyed. They clarified, “We want to say we don’t want you guys to harass these people. Leaving a bad review isn’t illegal, but we don’t want you guys to do anything illegal, like harass them, call them, or nothing.”
@analovesfoods Replying to @Chloe Universe ⭐♿🎨🌈
♬ original sound – Analovesfoods
Still, the video received little support. Most commenters said they were confused about how the situation, as described, amounted to racism. They did receive some support from one user who argued that customers should be allowed to share drinks if they choose to do so.
The restaurant says it regrets the situation
In a follow-up with Fox 17, the women addressed what they said were misunderstandings surrounding the incident. They reiterated that their IDs were never fake and said they were simply astonished by what they described as the staff’s rude behavior.
@analovesfoods @Cassandraalonso Thank you for reaching out #fox17 #eastgrandrapids #carolinalowcountrykitchen #analovesfood
♬ original sound – Analovesfoods
The women said they have since filed a police report over the incident.
