“Retaliatory”: Olive Garden Server Fired the Morning After a $700 Tip Was Flagged for Review Says the Termination Was Not About Behavior
A server at an Olive Garden in Fayetteville, Georgia, named Brook Skyes was fired on June 1, 2026, the day after receiving a $700 tip on May 31. Her mother, Buni Williams, posted a detailed account to Facebook that drew widespread attention before the restaurant responded.
Williams said Brook had been instructed by management to enter “0” on the tip line until the tip could be verified. According to Williams’ Facebook post, Brook became emotional after management could not give her a clear timeline for the review.
She asked a coworker to take her next table because of her mental state. Management told her she could either continue working or leave. She stayed and finished her shift.
They later told Brook she could receive 20 percent of the tip while the rest remained under review. Two managers reportedly gave conflicting timelines — one said the review would take one to two days, another said up to 120 days.
The next morning, they informed her that she had been fired for her “behavior” from the previous day and gave her paperwork stating that tips exceeding a specific amount are subject to manager review. Brook described the firing as “retaliatory” in the comments of her mother’s post — her own characterization of the termination, not a legal determination.
Olive Garden responded publicly, stating a policy exists for tips over $500 due to fraud concerns. The restaurant said the tip was declined due to insufficient funds and that this information had been shared with Brook.
A manager who spoke to someone who called the store reportedly said the firing was for something outside the tip incident and that the entire situation was fraudulent.
The customer came forward after seeing the situation go viral. He told Brook’s family he was charged $32 on Sunday. By Monday, his account showed $38. He found that unusual, as he expected to see the full $700 come through.
After seeing Williams’ Facebook post about the firing, he froze his card. On Monday, after Brook was let go, Olive Garden ran his card for $699. The card was frozen and the bank declined it. His bank records showed it was attempted.
Williams said her daughter asked Olive Garden why the two transactions were processed separately rather than as one. The restaurant reportedly had no clear answer and told the customer to take the matter up with his bank.
Facebook commenters sided with Buni and her daughter. One wrote, “In most states, when you’re fired, they have up to a week to pay you any and all monies owed. That 120 day wait is null and void once you’re fired.”
Another added, “Make sure anyone she talks to from the company is either recorded or in text because she wants to keep a paper trail.”
A third wrote, “Just sue Olive Garden and request the cameras from Olive Garden that led to her being fired. There are contingency lawyers, especially if it’s on TikTok.”
Williams said Brook received a phone call from a friend still employed at the location, describing a team meeting held by Olive Garden management. In that meeting, management allegedly told staff the entire incident was a scam and that the customer’s card had insufficient funds.
No legal action had been taken by either party as of publication.
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the full sequence of events described in this story. The details above reflect the accounts of Buni Williams as shared on Facebook and TikTok, the customer’s account as relayed by Williams and Olive Garden’s public statement. Brook Sykes’ account has not been independently confirmed.
