Oak’d BBQ addressed the controversy Friday after a video circulated showing a confrontation involving an employee, identified only as Jeff and Dallas-area mother Nikki Roberts. In videos shared online, Roberts alleges the employee spit in her direction during the altercation and that the spit struck her 4-year-old child.
The incident gained widespread attention after videos shared by Roberts showed part of the confrontation. In one clip, the man can be heard calling Roberts a “dumbass” before she responds, “I hope you have the day you deserve, SIR!”
Moments later, Roberts alleges the man spit toward her vehicle, with her young child later heard saying, “Call the police.”
In a statement posted to social media, restaraunt owners Michael and Nichole Lane, denounced his behavior.
“Let us be clear: We do not condone, support, or excuse Jeff’s behavior or actions,” the social media caption read. “We are not okay with what occurred.”
The restaurant also emphasized that the employee is not involved in the day-to-day operations or management of the business.
“His actions and decisions are his own, and do not reflect the values of our company, our employees, or us,” the statement continued. “We are 100% behind Nikki and her family.”
Following the restaurant’s statement, Roberts said Oak’d BBQ personally reached out to her and expressed support for her family.
“@oakdbbq reached out to me directly yesterday, and we had a great conversation,” Roberts wrote on social media. “I truly believe them when they expressed support for me and my family.”
Roberts also encouraged people not to blame the business for the actions of one employee.
“They have made it clear that the conduct in question does not reflect the values they strive to uphold and they do NOT support it,” she wrote. “The actions of one individual should not be taken as representative of the people who work there or support the business.”
She added that her focus remains on “moving forward, protecting my family, and allowing the appropriate conversations and accountability to take place where they belong.”
The incident continues generating discussion online, though both the restaurant and Roberts appear aligned on one point: the actions seen in the viral video should not define the business itself.