Waitress is fired from upscale restaurant for posting video of customer who brought blow-up doll to dine with him
A waitress was fired from an upscale restaurant in Charlotte, North Carolina, for posting a video of a customer bringing a blow-up doll to dine with him.
Tara Bjork posted the bizarre video to TikTok on May 27, capturing Henry Herrera on a date with the doll during her shift at Restoration Hardware’s lavish RH Rooftop Restaurant.
Since posting the video, which has been viewed more than 2 million times, Bjork said she was fired for capturing the moment — something she knew she wasn’t supposed to do.
‘I knew two things would happen. Either the video would not be viewed and everything would be fine, or it would blow up and I would have to deal with some consequences,” Bjork shared. WNCT.
Tara Bjork was fired from her job at the Restoration Hardware RH Rooftop Restaurant in Charleston, North Carolina after recording and posting a video of a man on a date with an inflatable doll
Henry Herrera is seen posting with the doll he brought into the lavish restaurant. He ordered a burger for himself and a salad for the doll
Herrera revealed that the only reason he brought the blow-up doll to the restaurant was because he was facing punishment for losing his fantasy football league.
“The funny thing is that it was my idea,” Herrera said, adding that he is the “commissioner” of the league in which he plays with his friends.
The now-viral video begins with Bjork spotting the doll in the middle of the roof, across from Herrera.
“Okay, I’m not supposed to make TikToks at work, but this calls for it,” she says.
“I work at a nice restaurant in Charlotte and I want you to see what just came in.”
Bjork then turns her camera around and zooms in on Herrera sitting with the doll in front of a fountain in the middle of the restaurant.
Since posting the video, which has been viewed more than 2 million times, Bjork said she was fired from her job (pictured) for capturing the moment – something she knew she wasn’t supposed to do
The inflatable doll, wearing a black dress with red cherries, with short blonde hair, leans back on the chair as Herrera looks at his phone.
Bjork then turns the camera back to her as she covers her face and remains speechless, saying only “I-“.
In a separate TikTok video posted the next day, Herrera showed the experience from his perspective.
Although Bjork lost her job for filming and posting the strange interaction, she already has another job lined up
The video shows a carousel of clips from his date night, starting with a photo of the doll trying to sit in the chair with the caption: “BRO PLEASE.”
Then there’s a photo of him partially covering his face with his hand, with the caption: “I want to cry.”
In another photo, Herrera is seen with a burger in front of him, while the doll has a large salad. Herrera also ordered drinks and fries for the couple to share.
Bjork said attending the entire date was a completely different experience as everyone in the restaurant was in shock.
‘I had three other tables at the time. Two of them talked to each other about it,” she said.
Herrera revealed that the only reason he brought the blow-up doll to the restaurant was because he was being punished for losing his fantasy football league.
“One of my colleagues’ tables was giving her updates on what was happening. At one point he was feeding her grapes.”
Although she could tell the entire interaction was a joke, Bjork said Herrera was committed to the joke that caused her to leave the room.
‘Putting the doll down was one of the most frightening moments as it was clearly stiff and bloated and not sitting down. So he was like trying to maneuver him into the chair and it was, oh my God, it was so bad to watch,” Bjork recalled.
Herrera said he didn’t care if Bjork filmed the moment because he expected it to get a lot of attention.
“As I sat, I could already see six phones recording me,” he said. “I knew the video would show up somewhere sooner or later.”
Although Bjork lost her job for filming and posting the strange interaction, she already has another job lined up.
“I think for professional purposes you just have to do what’s right for your job, but also follow your heart and do what feels right for you,” she said.
Meanwhile, Herrera said he plans to change the penalty for his fantasy football team next year.
The chic American home furnishings company has several rooftop restaurants across the country and around the world. (photo: the interior of the RH Rooftop Restaurant in Charlotte)
‘I’m going to change it. Do the opposite. It didn’t work very well. This year we’re switching it up,” he said.
The Charleston RH Rooftop Restaurant serves brunch, lunch and dinner items, as well as an assortment of alcoholic beverages.
Meals at the upscale restaurant range from $18-$25 for entrees and $20-$58 for entrees, according to the online menu.
The chic American home furnishings company has several rooftop restaurants across the country and around the world, including locations in New York, Cleveland, Dallas, as well as locations in England.
DailyMail.com contacted the Charleston RH Rooftop Restaurant for comment.