A TikTok creator says she found a fly in her drink at an Applebee’s in Rowlett, Texas, and was denied a refund by the manager on duty. The creator, who posts under the username @softlfegirl and goes by Jaszmine, shared videos of the incident that have drawn over 153,200 views and 14,000 likes.
According to Jaszmine’s video, she went to the Applebee’s location, not planning to eat, but saw a $5 drink promotion and decided to order. She said an employee told her she needed to buy food to get the drink deal, so she bought mozzarella sticks along with two drinks and tipped the staff member.
Since the drinks were to-go and sealed, Jaszmine said she could not open them inside the restaurant. She said she took them to her car, opened one, and found a fly inside.
Manager allegedly said corporate handles refunds, not the store
Jaszmine said she went back inside and told an employee about the fly, asking for a refund. She said the employee brought her to the manager, who took the drinks to the bar and asked who had made them. A staff member said she had.
@softlfegirl @Applebee’s Grill + Bar DO NOT PATRONIZE HERE
♬ original sound – J🤍
The manager reportedly asked whether the drink had been covered with a plastic lid, and the staff member said yes. Jaszmine said she did not blame the employee for the fly, saying the employee had done her job correctly
Jaszmine said the manager then told her he could not issue a refund because refunds are handled by corporate, not at the store level. She said she was not upset about that part, but asked for something in writing confirming she would get a refund, since she did not want to call corporate and be told there was no record of her claim. She said the manager could not answer her question about how she would prove she was owed a refund.
In her first video about the incident, Jaszmine is seen recording inside the restaurant. A male employee wearing a red polo shirt approaches her and says, “You’re not allowed to video in here.” Jaszmine responds by asking, “I’m not allowed to video in Applebee’s? Please show me where it says that.” The employee replies that no one is allowed to record without permission. Jaszmine says in the video that she was not recording him.
In the footage, the employee is seen reaching toward the camera, and Jaszmine says, “Get your hand out my face.” She then holds up a receipt to the camera and explains to viewers that the dispute was over the restaurant not refunding her for the drink with the fly in it. The employee is then heard saying, “Keep on acting like this, I’m going to call the police.” Jaszmine responds, “We call the police cuz we want our money back. You didn’t even give us our money back.”
Jaszmine also said that before this exchange, she had gone to the restaurant to record a video of the Rowlett Applebee’s sign to show viewers where the incident took place. She said a female employee walked into the frame while she was filming and accused her of recording her without permission. Jaszmine said she told the employee she was filming the sign, not her, and that the employee was not in the video. She said the employee began cursing at her and asking what she wanted to do.
In her second video, posted on TikTok afterward, Jaszmine explained that she planned to return to the restaurant on Monday and said she would not record the employees, stating in the video, “I’m not going to record the workers because you’re not the problem, it’s the location.” Such disputes over refunds can escalate, as when a woman refused to leave a Texas Roadhouse until her entire bill was voided.
@softlfegirl @Applebee’s Grill + Bar
♬ original sound – J🤍
In her third TikTok video, Jaszmine explained her caption from the second post, writing, “the reason I came back was because the receipt the manger gave me didn’t indicate I would get a refund. I needed an explanation as to how anyone would know I would be getting refund. He couldn’t answer that. Then the viral video is what happened.”
@softlfegirl & the reason I came back was because the receipt the manger gave me didn’t indicate I would get a refund. I needed an explanation as to how anyone would know I would be getting refund. He couldn’t answer that. Then the viral video is what happened. #fyp #applebees #rowletttx
♬ original sound – J🤍
Jaszmine said that once police arrived at the restaurant, an officer spoke with her and then with the manager. She said the officer told her he did not know why the store handled refunds the way it did, but advised her that if she did not receive a refund by Monday, she should contact her bank, share a picture of the paperwork the manager gave her, and dispute the charge. She said the officer also told her she could return on Monday and call the police again to act as a mediator.
Jaszmine said the officer also told her that recording inside the restaurant was not something employees could stop, though she noted in her third video that Applebee’s is a private establishment. She said her main issue was not about her right to record, but about the restaurant’s handling of the refund request and the way employees responded to her.
Jaszmine said she does not want free food, but does want proof that she will receive her refund for the drink. She said the incident involved a safety concern, since a fly had gotten into a drink meant for consumption. This dispute over customer rights and recording policies at a private establishment is not isolated, such as when Black women were allegedly told they couldn’t take pictures at a famous Dallas restaurant.
Some viewers responding to Jaszmine’s videos suggested contacting a local health department. One comment read, “Call public health and see who gets down there first.” Another said, “Call code enforcement and have them inspected.” A separate comment addressed the recording dispute, stating, “it’s a free country you can record anywhere you want.” Another commenter offered a different take on the situation, writing, “Lol always something to get something for free.”
