‘Look at This’: Applebee’s Allegedly Snaps a New York Customer’s ID. Then They Kick Her Group Out
She provided ID, Applebee's allegedly didn't believe it was real and gave it back damaged.
Showing an ID before ordering alcohol should be a routine part of going to a restaurant. If staff have concerns about someone’s age or identification, they can refuse to serve them. But what happens when the ID itself ends up damaged?
That question is at the center of a viral Applebee’s incident that has attracted millions of views. What appears to have started as a problem over identification allegedly ended with an entire group being asked to leave the restaurant.
TikTok creator Sophia (@sophia_attardi) says everyone in her group was over 21 when they visited an Applebee’s in Somers Point, New Jersey. She claims staff questioned their IDs after they had already been served alcohol, and the situation allegedly ended with her own driver’s license damaged.
But something was not right
In the video, Sophia stands outside the Applebee’s and holds up what appears to be her damaged ID. “Applebee’s just, like, snapped my f*ing ID,” she says. She then claims the issue affected everyone who was with her. “We all just got kicked out of Applebee’s because our IDs aren’t allowed, apparently,” Sophia says.
Sophia later shared a follow-up explaining what she says happened before that video. She says she and two friends had gone to Applebee’s for $1 margaritas. A server allegedly checked their IDs without an issue, and the group ordered and drank their margaritas.
According to Sophia, a manager later returned and asked to see all three IDs again. She claims the manager took them away for around 15 minutes. During that time, Sophia says the group finished its meal and drinks.
When the manager returned, Sophia claims they were told the restaurant could not accept their IDs. She says she tried calling the police non-emergency line but did not get an answer. That was also when Sophia says she noticed something different about her Tennessee driver’s license. “I did not hand you my ID looking like this,” she recalls telling the manager after noticing a crease down the middle.
According to Sophia, the manager told her she had been bending the ID to determine whether it was real. Sophia says the manager then offered her $30 to replace it. Instead, she asked the restaurant to remove the drinks from their bill, which she says the manager agreed to do.
The problem grew when Sophia tried to replace her license and learned she would need to visit a Tennessee DMV in person, about 13 hours away. She says she was 23, while her friends with New York IDs were 24 and 25.
According to Sophia, the manager told her that staff was more concerned about her friends’ New York IDs than her Tennessee license, leaving her confused about why hers was bent. She says she emailed Applebee’s but had not received a response and only wanted the costs of replacing her license covered rather than taking legal action.
Sophia also said she filed a police report the following day. She did not share the report in the material provided, and there is no indication that police have determined whether anyone broke the law.
ID disputes over alcohol have caused problems at other restaurants as well. One server said a customer threatened her after she refused to serve a margarita without valid identification, while another viral discussion focused on whether customers can use a photo of their ID when ordering alcohol.
Viewers questioned how the restaurant allegedly handled the IDs. “All restaurants need a scanner like the clubs have bc this is ridiculous,” one person wrote. Another focused on the damaged ID, writing, “Not to mention it’s a real ID from the looks of it. Pretty sure it’s illegal to destroy a government-issued form of identification either way.”
Applebee’s has not commented on the video.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
Follow The Mary Sue:
