26-second video (opens in new tab)<\/a> about her Nov. 2 meal at Hyphy Burger\u2019s East Oakland location. In it, she described a \u201cvery uncomfortable situation,\u201d saying she had been \u201cbothered\u201d by an unidentified individual who she believed was \u201con drugs.\u201d Arely alleged that restaurant employees noticed but did not intervene. Her video panns across the dining room, and she comments on its \u201cdirty\u201d state, claiming that there was food on the floor and the tables were \u201cfilthy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\nArely finished by giving the food a rating of 2 out of 10. \u201cI don\u2019t think this location is going to make it,\u201d her caption says. The video has more than 5,500 likes and 300,000 views.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Restaurant manager Steven Hernandez said he was shocked when he learned of the review. \u201cWhen we heard that someone had been getting harassed and that [the restaurant] had been extremely dirty, that was concerning.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hernandez said he and the owners checked the restaurant\u2019s CCTV footage and found that it did not align with Arely\u2019s version of events.<\/p>\n
So the owners decided to clap back. On Nov. 16, they took to Hyphy Burger\u2019s Instagram and posted CCTV footage that showed Arely standing in the back of the restaurant; no one can be seen approaching or talking to her. As to the dining room\u2019s cleanliness, Hernandez said Arely filmed the area right after a lunch rush, as 12 people were exiting the restaurant. In the Hyphy Burger post\u2019s caption, the restaurant\u2019s owners said the tables were cleaned not more than five minutes after the other diners left.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Hyphy Burger video has more than 39,000 likes and 1,200 comments, most in support of the restaurant and its owners.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Arely stands by her claims, telling The Standard that she was approached by a man who emerged from the restaurant\u2019s bathroom. \u201cHe was a young guy, maybe around 20 years old, and he came out of the restroom with a huge yellow bong,\u201d Arely said Wednesday. As he passed, he greeted her and asked how she was doing, she claims. She responded, and he quickly apologized for \u201cbothering\u201d her. The interaction then devolved as he raised his voice and repeatedly apologized, according to Arely. Notably, the CCTV footage released by the Hyphy Burger owners has no audio.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe just kept saying it over and over again, which made me feel uncomfortable, because he was being very loud. Even the workers were looking at him funny. We were a couple of feet apart, but everyone could hear him,\u201d Arely said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Despite the backlash, she has no plans to delete her post.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m keeping it up because I\u2019m not going to let Hyphy Burger silence me,\u201d Arely said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She said she believes the owners posted the CCTV video as a way to shame her for sharing her opinion and to bring in more business. \u201cThey never reached out to me, but they did follow me on Monday, and the next day they unfollowed me,\u201d Arely said. \u201cI\u2019m not an influencer. At the time, my video only had 40,000 views, but now it has like 200,000 views because of their response.\u201d<\/p>\n