Woman and her assistant film a coffee shop promotion in San Francisco. Then a man starts cussing them out and allegedly assaults them

A food creator and her assistant were filming content to promote a local coffee shop in San Francisco when an older man began directing insults at the assistant. Allie, who uses the handle @allie.eats, shared the incident in a TikTok video. The video, which has gained over a million views, opens with on-screen text stating “we were minding our own business and this happened…” and shows a sidewalk scene outside Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters.

Allie said in the video caption that she and her assistant were walking away after filming in an empty parklet when the man started muttering “you guys are so f–king stupid” at her assistant. She explained that she had been walking ahead and did not hear the comment at first, so she returned and asked what he had been saying. He then repeated that they were idiots and that what they were doing was so f–king stupid, Allie claimed.

Allie stated that she calmly told the man they were supporting a small business just like he was. She said his aggression continued, which is when her assistant began filming because he was being verbally abusive. The video itself starts at that point, Allie noted, and shows a woman in a black puffer vest over a grey sweater approaching the man before the camera becomes chaotic as the person filming shouts “don’t touch me!” and “You scratched me!”

Allie shares additional details and an update from the coffee shop owners

In a follow-up TikTok video, Allie said the owners of Wrecking Ball Coffee reached out to her personally and apologized for the incident, even though they had nothing to do with it. She added that the owners told her they had banned the couple from returning to the shop and encouraged viewers to support the business by buying a coffee.

Allie explained that she and her assistant had not approached the man to film him or provoke a reaction. She said they were sitting about 30 feet apart facing each other, with her assistant positioned between them with her back to the couple and filming only Allie. No one else was around while they filmed, she stated, and the couple was simply watching them, which she said angered the man.

She claimed the man gave death stares, shook his head, and muttered at her assistant that she was “so stupid.” She said she asked what was wrong, and he kept repeating that they were “really stupid f–king idiots.” She recounted telling him they were just supporting a small business like he was, and she noted that his wife told him to stop multiple times before the assistant started filming and the wife lunged at her to try to grab the phone.

Allie stated that she is not the person who filmed the original video, even though she posted it, and that her voice is mainly in the background. She said she tried to de-escalate the situation, though that part is not shown in the video. She identified herself as the person in the black top with stripes seen near the end saying “Stop, stop, stop,” explaining that she was trying to break things up and create a barrier between the woman and her assistant.

She said the woman is not her mother. She acknowledged that people may not want to be filmed in public and stated that the man had every right to say whatever he wants, while her assistant had every right to start filming him at that point. Public clashes over who belongs have gone viral before, like when a diner’s presence was called rude at a Florida restaurant.

However, she said the wife is not allowed to assault people, which is why she posted the video. Allie added that her assistant eventually got her sunglasses back after the woman threw them on the ground and said “no, they’re plastic” in response to a bystander asking if they were expensive.

Allie stated that she is not pressing charges because the woman did not touch her, but that it is up to her assistant whether to press charges. She said she hopes the couple reflects on their actions and warned viewers against doxxing them. Strangers watching others in public have sparked similar tension before, like a mom’s tense grocery store encounter.

Viewers who commented on the video largely expressed shock at the confrontation and support for Allie and her assistant. One commenter who said they had a connection to the cafe expressed sympathy for what happened and hoped the couple would take responsibility. They wrote, “Terrible. I’m so sorry that happened, especially at the cafe I built. I hope that couple is able to see how awful they were acting and take responsibility.”

Another viewer focused on the woman’s behavior in the clip and wrote, “I’m shocked! She was so aggressive.” A third commenter questioned the decision not to involve police and wrote, “I don’t understand. Why didn’t you want to call police?” One more suggested legal action and wrote, “They rich. Sue them SIS!”