America's hardest-working woman runs entire Burger King restaurant by herself
Nykia Hamilton, 25, of West Columbia, South Carolina, works more than 12-hour shifts at the Burger King on Broad River Road to support her three children.
She said it's a job she's deeply grateful for, especially after overcoming a challenging past that included a criminal record, as reported by WACH News.
But despite the complications of single motherhood, Hamilton's job adds another layer of stress to her life, as she juggles the kitchen, drive-thru, food prep and cleaning - all by herself.
'I be missing out on my kids' lives when I work so much,' Hamilton told WACH Fox.
'I have to provide for them, but I really don't have time to spend with them - and it hurts me a lot,' she added.
Earlier this month, a customer waiting for their food at the Burger King posted a video to TikTok showing Hamilton completely alone, hustling between stations to prepare each order while a line of customers slowly formed.
'Y'all need to get her some help up in here because she's busting her behind,' the customer said in the video. 'She's doing everything she needs to do to make sure everybody is okay in here.'
The video quickly racked up over 100,000 views, with hundreds of comments expressing outrage over fast food working conditions - demanding accountability at the franchise level and drawing attention to staffing shortages that disproportionately burden the most vulnerable, including single parents.
One person online wrote in response: 'Shame. Low wages, customers are dangerous and disrespectful - I feel for her.'
'This is a worker who deserves a RAISE,' wrote another. 'She didn't lock the door or walk out! She needs that job!'
A third chimed in: 'This is just such a sad world we live in.'
'She needs a tip jar,' wrote another. 'This is unfair to her. She shouldn't have to do this and run a whole business - restaurant - alone. Thank you for showing up and showing out though. Thank you.'
While hundreds praised Hamilton for her incredible work ethic - some sharing personal stories of her kindness and dedication - many were left wondering why she was regularly running the entire show by herself.
Hamilton explained that unreliable staff and the abrupt resignation of a team member left her to manage the entire restaurant by herself more than once.
'One of my employees just quit on me, and they didn't have anyone else to come in, so I had to work by myself, and close by myself,' Hamilton told WACH.
'Had to do the dishes, do prep, do the floor, do the front counter, drive-thru,' she added, emphasizing how overwhelming it becomes when she's forced to take orders at the counter and from drivers outside - all while preparing every meal on her own.
The day after the video was shared, nothing had changed. Hamilton once again closed the entire restaurant single-handedly, ensuring the floors were mopped and the place spotless before locking up.
'We just don't have any employees,' the mother told WACH. 'Nobody wants to work anymore.'
Although Hamilton is no stranger to working alone, she stays largely because of her manager, whom she deeply respects for giving her a chance to prove herself as a hardworking employee.
'I wouldn't have no job because I do have a record, and it is hard to find a job with a record,' Hamilton told the outlet.
'And by grace of God, she gave me a job,' she added. 'So that's the only reason why I stayed for her.'
In response to the situation, Hamilton received help running the Burger King just days later during the grueling 11am to 11pm shift, according to the outlet.
The Burger King franchise was also made aware of the situation and, in a statement to WACH FOX, emphasized that having more than one employee on shift is mandatory at all locations.
'At Burger King, it is our policy that all company and franchise owned restaurants require more than one Team Member to be working per shift,' the statement read.
'We are working with the franchise of this location to understand what happened and take any necessary action.'
Following the viral TikTok, hundreds of people urged Hamilton to start a GoFundMe, hoping to help her raise money so she could ease her workload and spend more time with her children.
Listening to the outpouring of support, Hamilton eventually set up a donation page, thanking everyone for their kindness - whether they chose to contribute or simply offered their encouragement.
'I am a 25-year-old single mom of three who works two jobs,' she wrote in the description.
'I just went viral for working on TikTok,' she added. 'If you wanna contribute, it's ok. Thank y'all for the support.'
As of Tuesday afternoon, the fundraiser has raised $7,600 toward Hamilton's $10,000 goal.
'I wasn't expecting my life to change how it did,' she said. 'I really do everything for my kids.'
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