Illinois restaurateur chases customer for not tipping, threatens to ‘slap the s**t out’
A ramen shop owner in the US apologised after a video of his violent behaviour towards a customer went viral on social media.
A video of an Illinois restaurant owner following and threatening a customer for not tipping has surfaced online. According to the New York Post (NYP), the owner, identified as Kenny Chou of ramen shop Table to Stix in downtown Evanston, chased after the unidentified customer who paid his $19.89 meal with a $20 bill and didn’t leave any extra money.

An Instagram user who goes by Capital Gentlemen shared a video showing Chou confronting the customer. The customer keeps his cool and repeatedly asks the owner to back off.
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“I paid for my food. I handed you $20. You cannot charge more than what you paid, so what are you talking about?” the customer says in the now-viral video. He then repeats, “What do you want? I paid for my food!”
Chou, however, responds with “I’ll smack the s**t out of you, you punka** s**thead.” He then yells, “Shut your goddam f**king mouth. How are my staff supposed to make money? I’ll slap the s**t out of you!”
Kenny Chou apologises:
The outlet reported that after the video went viral, people started leaving bad reviews for the restaurant on Yelp. Following the online backlash and physical protests outside his establishment, Chou apologised.
“It was a deeply regrettable moment where I, Kenny Chou, lost my composure,” Chou said. “I stepped far beyond the bounds of respect and decency,” he added.
According to CBS News Chicago, Chou also sent a free meal to the customer’s brother and a handwritten apology.
“I apologise to him and to his family, and I was just asking if he could pass this message along to his little brother,” he told CBS News Chicago.
According to the NYP, the Evanston Police Department is still conducting an investigation.
Why didn't the customer tip?
When asked about this matter in the comments section of the viral video, the customer simply replied, “Oh, I just didn’t want to.”
ABOUT THE AUTHORTrisha SenguptaTrisha Sengupta works as Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of experience in the digital newsroom. Known for her ability to decode the internet’s most talked-about moments, she specialises in high-engagement storytelling that bridges the gap between viral trends and traditional journalism. Throughout her tenure, Trisha has focused on the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. She frequently covers personal finance and real estate struggles in hubs like Gurgaon, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, while also documenting the unique challenges of the NRI experience. Her work often highlights the movements and philosophies of global newsmakers and personalities like Elon Musk, Mukesh Ambani, Nikhil Kamath, Dubai crown prince, and MrBeast. From reporting on Amazon or Meta layoffs and startup culture to the emergence of AI-driven platforms like Grok and xAI, she provides a grounded and empathetic perspective on the stories shaping our world. When not decoding the internet, Trisha is likely offline: lost in a book, exploring a historical ruin, or navigating the world as a solo traveler. She balances her fast-paced career with family time and a healthy dose of curiosity, currently trading her "human" sources for silicon ones as she masters AI to future-proof her storytelling.Read More

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