Waitress Fired after Posting TikTok of Man's Unusual 'Date' – Viewers Applaud Her for Risking Her Job

When Tara Bjork started her day, she didn't expect to witness an unusual scenario at the upscale Charlotte restaurant where she worked. But she saw something so surprising that she decided to film it and post the clip on TikTok, where it quickly went viral. The video brought her unexpected fame and applause from viewers but also led to her dismissal.

It was a normal day for Tara Bjork, a waitress at RH Rooftop Restaurant at Restoration Hardware in Charlotte, N.C., until she saw something she couldn't ignore. It was a man having an unusual dining experience that immediately caught the waitress's attention.

Intrigued and amused, Bjork decided to capture the moment on her phone. She knew she wasn't supposed to film while at work and understood that posting the video online could lead to her dismissal. Yet, her curiosity and desire to share the hilarious incident outweighed her concerns.

As she recorded the video, she worried about the possible outcome. On one hand, she thought that no one would notice the video at all, but on the other, she dreaded that it might go viral and bring unwanted backlash. What she didn't expect was how quickly the video would spread and the overwhelming response it would receive.

When Bjork posted the video to TikTok, it quickly gained traction, amassing over 2.5 million views. The humorous nature of the content captivated viewers, leading to hundreds of thousands of comments.

This overwhelming response was both exciting and nerve-wracking for Bjork. As the views skyrocketed, she knew she might have to face the consequences at work.

The video showed a young man dining with a blow-up doll at the upscale restaurant. The surreal scene caught everyone's attention, from fellow diners to Bjork's coworkers. What was more absurd was that the man had ordered a meal for himself and a salad for the doll.

He had hoped people would record him when he first brought the doll to the restaurant, and he saw about six phones immediately recording him as he was sitting down.

The man in the video was Henry Herrera, who took the blow-up doll on a "date" as a punishment. His unusual dinner companion was part of a comedic bit that quickly captured everyone's attention in the room.

Henry's thought process behind it was simple yet hilarious. He had lost in his fantasy football league and had to bring the doll as his date. He found the whole experience humiliating. But Henry admitted, "The funny thing is it was my idea."

Henry's punishment was different from the previous year's, which involved sitting in a Waffle House for 24 hours, with each waffle consumed subtracting an hour. He explained that the league wanted to do something different from what they had seen online.

"Last year we started punishments for the last-place finisher in our fantasy football league [sic]," he said. "But we kept seeing [the Waffle House challenge] online, so we wanted to do something different."

Bjork's comments about the situation were candid and entertaining.

"I had three other tables at the time. Two of them were speaking to each other about it," she said. "One of my coworkers' tables were giving her updates on what was happening. He was feeding her grapes at one point [sic]."

Her firsthand account painted a vivid picture of the bizarre dining experience, making the story even more engaging for those following it online.

Explaining further about the unusual date, Henry added, "There's a fountain that we sat next to. All you could hear was the water in it. And it was the worst five minutes of my life."

Reflecting on Bjork's recollection of the incident, Henry confirmed its accuracy. Bjork mentioned that the doll was stiff and it was hard to fit her into the chair, and it was so "bad" for her to watch that she had to leave the room. She mentioned that the doll was just not sitting!

The shared experience between Henry and Bjork created a memorable moment for both. "There were two drinks on the table, they had little 'cheers' Bellini moment, and then they had food," she added, talking about the situation.

The humorous event, however, led to serious consequences for Bjork. Unfortunately, as she had feared, she was ultimately fired for filming and posting the video. She accepted the outcome, understanding that she had violated company policy.

"I was let go and it's totally fine. It was on technicality [sic] reasons," she said.

Bjork acknowledged that it was a risk she chose to take. She already had another job lined up and seemed at peace with how things turned out.

Reacting to the incident, Bjork added that she found the TikTok comments amusing, often laughing more at the comments than the original incident.

Later, Bjork did another TikTok video where she answered some of the most asked questions about what happened that day. When someone asked if the whole situation was real, she confirmed it was 100% real.

People also asked if she was the one serving them. She replied that she wasn't but witnessed the event from nearby. Bjork also explained what salad was ordered for the doll and answered questions like, "Who paid the tab?"

She explained Henry was a gentleman and took care of the bill. She also added that Henry and his date had a cheese board to split in the beginning. Someone even asked if Henry's table had two menus, and Bjork's reaction was yes they did! Talking about the salad, she clarified it was a gem lettuce salad.

She said the whole event was a spectacle, and most of the guests were laughing and talking about it.

So, while others would see getting fired as the worst day on the job, that clearly wasn't the case for Bjork.

When the video went viral, netizens were quick to jump in with their reactions, and they were applauding Bjork's attitude toward the incident.

"🤣I bet she was the most polite customer you had all day! [sic]," one user wrote on the social media platform.

"Thank you for risking your job for this 💀😂 [sic]," another expressed.

"You need an immediate raise. Get you a raise immediately [sic]," mentioned the third.

Bjork's TikTok was also shared on the Miguel and Holly Instagram account, which helped it gain additional traction. She also went on a radio interview on Hits 96.1 with Miguel and Holly, where she explained what happened at the restaurant and that it was Memorial Day when the whole thing transpired. She explained that she had trouble keeping a straight face and avoided going near Henry's table.

As for next season's league punishment, Henry and his friends planned something equally entertaining. They hoped the next loser would sing the national anthem at a major sporting event. Their goal was to get on the Charlotte Knights' singer roster, ensuring another memorable and humorous punishment.

When reached out for a comment, the restaurant management did not respond. The event showed how an ordinary day could turn into a viral sensation, bringing unexpected fame and consequences for those involved.

If you enjoyed this story, here's another one for you:

Boy, 6, Shields His 3-Year-Old Brother in Attempt to Save Him, But Tragically Both Die Later Side by Side

On the morning of April 10, 2024, a fire erupted unexpectedly in the Brice family home in Clifton, Virginia. The blaze quickly engulfed the residence, trapping William, aged six, and his younger brother Zachariah, aged three, inside.

Despite the rapid response of Fairfax County Fire and Rescue, the situation was dire. Firefighters, battling through smoke and flames, discovered a heart-wrenching scene, young William was shielding Zachariah with his own body, trying desperately to protect him from the searing heat and smoke.

Both boys were unresponsive for 45 minutes after being pulled from their grandparents' home. Remarkably, their bodies did not show external signs of burns, indicating that the lethal damage was internal, a silent testament to the insidious nature of smoke inhalation. The medical team fought tirelessly, but the internal injuries were too severe for any chance of recovery.

The boys were immediately rushed to the hospital in critical condition, but the severity of their injuries left little hope. Jamey Brice, the boys' father, recounted the firefighters' emotional testimony, telling him how moved they were by William's protective instincts.

"Firefighters came in and talked to us and they described … how they saw William protecting Zachariah, how moved they were by the whole thing, and that they had the courage to come tell us," said Jamey. The family, shaken, gathered around the boys, clinging to each other in a mix of hope and despair.

After sharing the news with the family, the firefighters promptly awarded the boys firefighter medallions, declaring them honorary firefighters right from their hospital beds.

The tragedy was compounded by the fact that at the time of the fire, both parents were at work, relying on their parents and their sons to be safe at home.

Jamey and his wife, Reina, were alerted to the catastrophe by their eldest son, Seth, who was 13 years old. Seth had received a chilling text from a friend about a fire at his house, prompting the parents to rush home in a frantic race against time.

Jamey painfully recalled the sequence of events and the shock of not knowing the cause of the fire that tore through their home so unexpectedly.

In reflecting on the day of the fire, Jamey shared, "It was just a weird, freakish fire that we still don't know what the cause was, or how it started or why it grew so fast." The community and the family are still looking for answers to these questions as they begin to process the immense loss of such young lives.

The couple's eight-year-old son Logan managed to escape the flames and demonstrated a remarkable presence of mind by calling 911. His quick thinking played a crucial role in ensuring a rapid response from the emergency services, a fact that Jamey acknowledged with pride.

"All four boys are heroes in the story," he said, emphasizing the bravery shown by each of his children during those critical moments.

The days following the tragic fire were a harrowing time for the Brice family as they grappled with the impending loss of William and Zachariah. Despite the best efforts of the medical team, it became clear that the boys would not survive their injuries.

Jamey remarks that it's no surprise the boys passed away together, given their strong bond. "Zachariah was always following William everywhere and William was so proud. He would tell everyone, 'That's my baby brother,'" Jamey recalled.

As the community and family awaited the inevitable, support poured in from all corners. The family's church, along with others in the community and even strangers across the country, rallied to offer their condolences and support.

"They did such an amazing job, that we could focus on the kids," Jamey noted, appreciative of the overwhelming community support that helped them through these trying times.

You can read the rest of the story by clicking here.