A Philly diner is going viral for allegedly throwing out a customer’s belongings, car keys and all

A Philadelphia diner has been going viral on Instagram after a customer alleged that a server trashed her and her 5-year-old daughter’s belongings.

Kumbah Sarnor, 36, posted a video to Instagram Tuesday night recapping how a server at Spring Garden’s Silk City diner allegedly threw her and her child’s stuff away while they were in the restroom. Almost immediately, the video went viral, earning more than 300,000 views and a subsequent repost from the popular Instagram news aggregator No Gun Zone.

“Never in my life have I been treated like that,” Sarnor, an event planner from Northeast Philly, said to the camera. “I’m still in tears and shaking.”

After asking for the check, Sarnor said in the video that she and her daughter stepped away from the table to use the restroom for “three or four minutes.” When they returned, Sarnor found the entire table cleared of their belongings. They included Sarnor’s jacket, car keys, and wallet, plus three of her daughter’s beloved stuffed animals: a pink pig, a Squishmallow, and a plush version of Everest, the husky pup constantly saving the day in Paw Patrol.

When Sarnor asked a server about where her belongings went, Sarnor said he pulled them from the trash, soiled with teriyaki sauce from the shrimp fried rice she ordered. In the video, Sarnor said that customers sitting nearby chimed in to say that they watched the server use her daughter’s stuffed animals to wipe the table clean.

“My daughter was asking me, ‘Why is Everest dirty? Why was he in the trash?’ I’m trying to handle the situation, but because of their lack of response, I got emotional. I started crying,” Sarnor told The Inquirer. “My daughter ended up being the one to comfort me in that moment.”

Silk City and its owner, Mark Bee, declined to comment, instead referring to The Inquirer to a statement they posted to Instagram Wednesday night. The server involved with the incident is no employed by the diner, it said. Comments are limited.

“What happened is unacceptable and does not reflect the values, standards, or community that Silk City stands for. We sincerely apologize to anyone who has been hurt, disappointed, or affected by this situation,” the statement said. “We want to make things right. We understand why emotions are high. We are not asking anyone to dismiss their feelings. We are asking for the chance to handle this responsibly and with care.”

For Sarnor, the response isn’t enough. Her daughter cried in the car that night, Sarnor said, and she had to throw away the stuffed animals and jacket for good. Even now after being cleaned, Sarnor’s wallet still smells like teriyaki, she said.

“It wasn’t just [the server]. Management didn’t handle things correctly,” she said.

In the video, Sarnor alleged that Bee — who opened Silk City at 435 Spring Garden St. in 2006 and owns the popular gay bar Franky Bradley’s — hid when she tried to confront him about the incident Tuesday.

“I saw the owner hightailing it to the kitchen, and he never came back out,” Sarnor told The Inquirer. Instead, a manager gave her paper bags to her put her soiled belongings in. All the while, Sarnor said the server chastised her about being more conscientious.

“He was like, ‘Our policy is, if we feel like someone left their table, we throw their stuff out,” she recounted over the phone.

Sarnor said that Silk City ended up comping her meal, and that the general manager, Joe “Joppy” Ferrone, emailed her Thursday to apologize, after the diner’s statement went live.

“They confirmed that the employee was terminated effective immediately, and put the majority of the accountability on him,” Sarnor said. “If I had just gone home that night and not posted the video, I don’t think I would’ve heard from anyone.”

Sarnor’s video has opened up a debate about restaurant etiquette, with commenters split about if it’s ever acceptable to leave items unattended in a restaurant — even for a quick restroom trip.

“Why would you leave your wallet and car keys at the table in a public restaurant?” one commenter posted under the original video. “That’s crazy.”

“Please don’t act like y’all don’t leave your belongings, especially when the bill isn’t paid so they won’t be under the impression you’re trying to ditch,” wrote another. Others called the incident shameful, with one Instagram user going as far to write that she “probably would’ve been arrested after wiping the counter with [the server’s] face.”

Sarnor was shocked that anyone had decided to scrutinize her conduct, with some going as far to assume her child’s toys were soiled because they left the table messy. She scoffed at the accusation.

“I don’t leave a messy table ... I’m the person who stacks the plates,” Sarnor said. “Human nature is victim-blaming. It’s hard to understand that someone was wronged for no reason. I was even doubting myself.”

Now days removed from the incident, Sarnor — who is Black and described the server as white — agrees with comments that viewed his actions as racially motivated. Several viewers even advised her to file a complaint for discrimination.

A diner by day, lounge by night, Silk City has long had a reputation among Black Philadelphians as the place to go to hear DJs who play afrobeats, hip-hop and throwback R&B. Currently, the diner’s Instagram advertises a Halloween party that’s “a celebration of Black music and Black movement.”

It was this reputation that empowered Sarnor to speak up.

“Racism played a part. Sexism played a part. I was a Black mom out with her child. If I was a man, this never would’ve happened,” she said. “These establishments will take the Black dollar, but they don’t really care about Black people.”