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A woman, Stephanie Lovins, has been fired from her work after she left a racist comment on a restaurant bill, which later went viral. The incident took place at Cazuelas Mexican Restaurant & Cantina in Columbus, Ohio, where Lovins left an insulting message to her server, Ricardo, a U.S. citizen of Latino background.
The drama started when Stephanie Lovins dined at the restaurant on March 2, 2025, and was upset with the restaurant's policy of one coupon per table. Instead of accepting the policy, she showed her displeasure by writing, "I hope Trump deports you!!!" on the signature line of the bill. Also, in the space for tips, she wrote, "Zero, you s**k," leaving no tip.
Real estate agent Stephanie Lovins fired over offensive receipt message
The incident soon gained public interest when another server at the restaurant came across the receipt and shared it. The photo of the receipt went far and wide on social media sites, and great backlash followed against Stephanie Lovins. While the scandal gained traction, she tried to deflect by posting a message on LinkedIn, citing a missing credit card and attempted fraudulent transactions.
However, the restaurant's marketing director, Fabio Oribio, checked surveillance footage and confirmed that Stephanie Lovins had penned the hate-filled note. In response to this authentication, her company, Century 21, acted quickly on the mounting public outrage.
The real estate company stated a company representative denouncing the act and expressing that the company does not condone hate in any shape or form.
Century 21 told NBC4,
“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 restaurant also stood up against the incident by releasing a statement on its social media platforms. Showing their solidarity with their employees, the post highlighted respect, tolerance, and acceptance as key values.
The server, Ricardo, at the center of the controversy, has, since the incident, also attracted an outpouring of support. He holds two jobs to take care of himself, and several people have come forward to demonstrate their support. There has been a GoFundMe campaign started, which reads "Tip Ricardo: Because Hate Has No Place Here," to financially help him.
The fundraiser has already reached over $8,800 as people unite behind him in the face of the unfair treatment he received.
This event shows the strength of social media in revealing discriminatory actions and making people accountable. The reaction from the restaurant and the public shows a united attempt to fight hate and be supportive of victims of discrimination.
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