A viral TikTok video in which a Starbucks barista jokingly told a person posing as a customer to “open your fucking eyes” has led to the Starbucks worker getting fired, according to TikTok user Jairo (@j_y_r_o).
The original video, which has been viewed over 20 million times, shows Jairo handing out a Starbucks order. A “customer” named Zoey asks which order has oat milk in it, to which Jairo responds, “So if you open your fucking eyes.” He grabs the drink to point to its label.
It appears the video was likely a skit, as Jairo posted subsequent videos showing him acting rather irrationally to what appears to be the same person. In one video he grabs a finished beverage and drinks it himself after the person behind the camera asks if the order has oat milk. Jairo sarcastically captioned the video “sO nOt StAgEd.”
In another video, the customer Zoey tells Jairo their order is supposed to have whipped cream. Jairo then takes the drink, opens the lid, and then slaps whip cream from his apron pocket on top of the drink with his bare hands.
In his response to their original video, Jairo said there was a possibility he’d lose his job over the TikTok post.
@j_y_r_o #stitch with @j_y_r_o so many tiktoks out there but mime blows up and i lose mt job#barista ♬ original sound –
“Yep I hope you guys enjoyed that because I’m outside my Starbucks,” Jairo says. “I’m about to get fired.”
Jairo captioned the video, “So many TikToks out there but [mine] blows up and i lose [my] job.”
He later confirmed via the comments section in another video that he was fired.
This isn’t the first time the coffee chain has fired employees over making TikTok videos. According to Business Insider, companies have struggled with how to deal with employees posting to TikTok while at work. Starbucks has not responded to The Daily Dot’s request for comment via email about Jairo’s videos or the company’s social media policy for baristas.
People in the comments section of the videos seemed to have mixed views of Jairo’s firing.
“Corporate out here firing people for jokes but can’t keep their stores fully staffed and well trained,” one commenter said.
“If it isn’t the consequences or your actions,” another commenter said.
“Seems like every week someone posts a video that they got fired due to a Tiktok. When will ppl learn,” someone else said.
The Daily Dot reached out to Jairo via TikTok comment and Instagram direct message.
