A TikTok video posted by a creator who goes by “JustMe” with the handle @justme_mp appears to show a lone employee working behind the counter at a Taco Bueno restaurant in Oklahoma City. The video, which the creator posted on the platform, shows a single worker in a red shirt and dark pants preparing food inside the kitchen area. A menu board appears to be visible above the service window, and several drinks and condiments can be seen on the counter in the foreground.
The video’s caption identifies the location as a Taco Bueno restaurant on Reno and MacArthur in Oklahoma City. The caption reads, in part, “This sweet soul is doing EVERYTHING by himself!!!!!!! He’s literally a one man show and doing it with a painful smile on his face!” The caption also claims the worker served “over 10 customers” during the recording.
An off-screen voice, which appears to be the person filming, speaks directly to the worker in the video. The voice says, “I hope they know how lucky they are to have you, for you doing this all by yourself. I really do. I pray that you get raises and people to help, district manager and everything, bud.” Throughout the recording, the worker appears to continue preparing food without visibly reacting to the commentary.
The video’s caption claims the worker said he had bills to pay
According to the video’s caption, the person filming said they told the worker they would quit under the same circumstances. The caption states that, in response, the worker said, with tears in his eyes, “I got bills to pay.” The caption ends with a plea: “Please either recognize this angel or someone give him a better job!”
In the clip itself, the worker appears to be focused on preparing food behind the counter. The camera remains on the service area and the kitchen beyond it. No other customers appear to be visible at the counter during the recording, though the caption claims the restaurant had served more than 10 customers.
The video’s on-screen text also reads, “Taco Bueno DO BETTER!!!!!!!!” in large red letters on a peach-colored background. The creator did not identify the worker by name in the video or the caption.
Commenters responded with job offers and suggestions
Several people responded in the comment section of the video. One commenter, who identified themselves as a general manager at a quick-service restaurant in Oklahoma City, wrote, “QSR restaurant GM in OKC and I’m hiring. I’ll swing by later and see if he’s there.”
Another commenter wrote, “and im sure while hes busting his ass, corporate is sitting on their hands acting like they have no way get hire more staff smfh.” A third commenter suggested, “start a gofundme for him so he can take the time to find a far better job without worrying he will lose everything bc he has to wait for his first paycheck.”
One commenter wrote, “Imagine if a person was covering for 2 other people’s shift, they get paid for three people’s wages.” Another simply commented, “Old school people know how work.”
The creator of the video posted an update in the comments section. The update reads, “UPDATE: Someone went up there to offer him a job but he wasn’t there at that time. I’m going up there tomorrow 9/28 to find out what his schedule is. Thank you everyone for all the nice words. I’ll film him reading the comments when I see him. 🥰 I know this will blow him away. Y’all are a blessing.”
The video appears to have drawn attention to the worker’s situation at the restaurant, though the worker’s identity has not been confirmed in the video or the caption. The creator has not publicly identified the employee by name. Attention like this rarely sticks, as a Popeyes customer’s video showed a manager refusing to remake her full cold meal and telling her to microwave the food instead.
Taco Bueno has not publicly commented on the video as of this writing. The video continues to circulate on TikTok, where the creator’s handle is @justme_mp.
