An Illinois restaurant owner was caught on video closely following a customer down the street and chastising them, furious that they didn’t leave a tip on their $20 meal.
The heated showdown exploded outside ramen shop Table to Stix in downtown Evanston on Saturday, April 19, when owner Kenny Chou turned the quiet block into a battleground, storming after the diner in a now-viral video.
Chou sprinted after the unidentified customer who left a $20 bill to cover his $19.89 meal with no additional tip, calling him a “piece of s–t.”
The customer questioned why Chou continued to follow him down the street. Chou responded with “18%,” the tip amount he expected to be given.
“I paid for my food. I handed you $20. You cannot charge more than what you paid, so what are you talking about?” the customer said in the wild clip.
“What do you want? I paid for my food!” the man repeats as Chou trails him.
As the video continues and Chou does not stop following the customer, the annoyed customer demands that Chou “get the f–k back,” asking that he call the police if he wants to escalate the situation.
The owner berated the customer and threatened to get the police involved until the customer snapped back: “I paid for my food. I paid you $20. I am not legally required to give you a f–king tip.”
A belligerent Chou shrieked, “I’ll smack the s–t out of you, you punka– s–thead.”
“Shut your goddam f–king mouth. How are my staff supposed to make money? I’ll slap the s–t out of you!” he continued to yell.
Table to Stix, which had overwhelmingly positive reviews praising its ramen noodle bowls and cozy vibes, has since been flooded with bad reviews and was subject to a protest claiming that the video — which has racked up over 1.3 million views on X, as well as Instagram — displayed anti-black harassment.
On Saturday, Chou apologized for his behavior, acknowledging that he was driven to rage by frustration over the struggling business.
“It was a deeply regrettable moment where I, Kenny Chou, lost my composure,” Chou said during a protest outside of his restaurant. “I stepped far beyond the bounds of respect and decency.”
Since the video went viral, Yelp froze the restaurant’s page over the flooding of negative comments, and Chou took down the ramen joint’s phone line and social media accounts.
He has also attempted to make amends, sending the customer’s brother his favorite meal free of charge, as well as a handwritten apology.
“I apologize to him and to his family, and I was just asking if he could pass this message along to his little brother,” Chou told CBS News Chicago.
However, the Evanston Police Department confirmed that an investigation into harassment is ongoing. Neighbors and students at nearby Northwestern University continue to boycott the noodle shop.
When asked after the clip went viral why he didn’t tip, the customer didn’t mince words: “Oh, I just didn’t want to.”
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