A Georgia woman has been charged with first-degree criminal damage to property and aggravated assault after allegedly driving her vehicle into a Popeyes restaurant.
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office received a call about the accident with injuries, and when they arrived at the Walton Way location in Augusta, they discovered that the woman, identified as Belinda H. Miller, had deliberately driven into the restaurant after discovering no biscuits with her order.
The manager of the restaurant told authorities that the woman became agitated when she didn’t receive biscuits with her order, and that she had threatened staff before the incident.
The restaurant had corrected the mistake and provided the biscuits before Miller drove her SUV into the restaurant entrance. The impact nearly hit an 18-year-old employee, and she continued driving into the restaurant until her vehicle was stopped by debris.
The woman fled the scene and headed south on Gordon Highway. Deputies later found her SUV at her home, with damage to the front. Miller was booked into the Charles B. Webster Detention Center on Wednesday and given a bond of more than $4,000. It’s unclear whether she remains in custody.
This incident is just the latest in a series of fast-food customer outbursts that have made headlines in recent years. In 2019, a man in Houston was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after pulling a gun on employees at a McDonald’s drive-thru because they didn’t put enough ketchup in his order.
A year earlier, a Tennessee woman was arrested for pulling a gun on fast-food employees when they gave her ketchup instead of jelly.
As fast-food workers increasingly face abusive customers and unsafe working conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic, many are calling for better protection for employees. In response, some fast-food chains have implemented policies to protect workers, including providing panic buttons, security guards, and de-escalation training.
In this case, Miller’s rage over a missing side dish resulted in serious consequences, including injury and property damage. It remains to be seen whether she will face additional charges or penalties for her actions.