In a viral incident that has captured significant attention, a San Francisco bartender found himself without a job after a confrontation with an intoxicated female patron. This dramatic scene, caught on camera, led to his dismissal.
The bartender, identified as 25-year-old Miguel Marchese, was employed at Hazie’s, a posh dining spot in Hayes Valley co-owned by renowned chef Joey Altman. Marchese’s employment was terminated via email on Saturday, with only a day’s notice provided, as reported by SFGATE.
The primary reason cited for Marchese’s firing was a video clip that allegedly showed him causing the unruly customer to trip and fall onto the sidewalk.
“I found it strange that I was being dismissed when, in the end, I hadn’t done anything wrong,” Marchese expressed to the publication.
He also claimed that Hazie’s offered him a $5,000 severance package, contingent upon his agreement not to pursue legal action or disparage the establishment regarding the incident.
He alleged that he turned down a $5,000 severance package from Hazie’s, offered on the condition that he did not sue or speak negatively about the viral altercation.
‘I ask people to put themselves in my shoes,’ Marchese added.
‘Imagine that not only are you sick with laryngitis, but your hair is being viciously pulled out of your head,’ he said.
Miguel Marchese, 25, said he was fired from his job as a bartender at Hazie’s after his response to a violent drunk customer had gone viral
Shireen Afkari, 32, was identified as the so–called drunk Karen in the captured footage. She was arrested for public intoxication after the fight
Marchese and another restaurant employee restrained the couple and they were carried outside of the restaurant before she attacked Marchese
The brawl that ultimately led to Marchese’s firing happened on December 13, after an inebriated couple began arguing with the restaurant’s staff when they were refused service.
The situation started spiraling into violence when the woman – later identified as 32–year–old Shireen Afkari – stormed into the kitchen to start yelling at workers.
Following that heated exchange and multiple physical confrontations, Marchese and another staff member restrained the couple and carried them outside the restaurant.
But once outside, Afkari turned her attention back to Marchese, grabbing him and viciously pulling at his hair.
Employees and bystanders urged her to ‘stop’ and ‘let go’ as she hung onto the bartender’s long locks.
Marchese was unable to break free until he tossed her phone down the street.
As Afkari ran after it, she was tripped by Marchese and fell face–first onto the sidewalk with a loud thud.
Marchese claimed this part of the fight resulted in his firing.
He alleged that one of Hazie’s owners had called him an ‘insurance liability’ for tripping the intoxicated customer.
Footage showed Afkari pulling on Marchese’s hair until he broke free by tossing her phone down the street. When she chased after it, he tripped her
Marchese said one of Hazie’s owners had branded him an ‘insurance liability’ after the incident. He was suspended while the restaurant investigated the brawl
The restaurant was concerned that Afkari would be able to sue over Marchese’s behavior, according to Axios.
Marchese was suspended while the restaurant reviewed his actions during the altercation. He had worked at Hazie’s since 2023.
The bartender described the incident in an Instagram story shortly after it happened.
‘I initially was patient with her hoping she’d let go but in the end I had to kick in the vagina, chuck her to [sic] phone across the street, to which she chases after and accidentally trips over my leg,’ he wrote.
Meanwhile, Afkari was arrested for public intoxication following the incident. She was later fired from her job as a Strava manager.
Marchese said that the severance agreement allegedly offered by the restaurant cited a social media post he shared on December 19, including negative remarks about Altman.
He added that he did not know of any other Hazie’s employees that had been fired, even those involved in the fight.
That even included one worker who slammed Afkari to the floor, Marchese claimed.
Hazie’s is now under investigation by San Francisco’s Office of Labor Standards Enforcement over allegations of wage and tip theft.
Marchese said he and several coworkers filed a complaint with the agency in December – about a week before the violent spat at the restaurant went viral, per the San Francisco Gazetteer.
He had also asked the agency for help accessing his employer–funded health care savings account, alleging the restaurant had not been making required contributions to employees’ accounts.
Afkari, 32, was out with her boyfriend, 33-year-old Christian Bruchman, when a rowdy brawl spilled from inside the restaurant onto the street
Despite a whirlwind last couple of months, Marchese said the public response had been deeply supportive.
‘I would walk around the city and people would just give me a hug or shake my hand and tell me how much they supported me,’ he said.
But after his firing, the former bartender remained unsure of what his next steps would be.
‘I just want my health to get better and the water to settle down and not to have this constant stress,’ Marchese said.
After the fight, Hazie’s issued a statement saying that the restaurant had been ‘deeply moved by the outpouring of love and support following the recent incident.’
The statement referenced the restaurant’s employees and added: ‘Your messages, notes, and generosity have meant more to our team than we can fully express, and the strength of this community has been truly heartening.’
The Daily Mail has contacted Marchese and Hazie’s for further comment.
