Family was cutting cake on their little one’s birthday at Joey Tomatoes, only for the owner to call it ‘inappropriate’ during a heated confrontation

The birthday celebration of a five-year-old at a Joey Tomatoes restaurant turned into a confrontation for the family when the owner reportedly refused to let them cut the cake. The family claimed they had asked for permission before coming to the restaurant, which was granted, but when the cake-cutting began, the owner created a scene. The incident was recorded and posted on social media.

According to the Daily Dot, the incident occurred at Joey Tomatoes in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey, and Twitter/X user @VintageNJ1 shared insights into the family’s experience. The family was reportedly celebrating a nephew’s birthday at the restaurant. But when they asked for a knife, before cutting the cake, the owner had an unusual reaction, calling it ‘inappropriate.’ The family had paid $250 for the food and were ready to pay some more for cutting the cake, according to their post’s caption.

The man could be heard saying, “It’s a five-year-old birthday party. It’s a five-year-old birthday party. We just want to cut the cake.” The restaurant owner replied, “Is that what we’re gonna do? Every day we’re all gonna go over here and have a birthday party, okay? Have a great year.” The family replied, “You are embarrassing yourself.”

Viewers seemed divided as some backed the family while others backed the restaurant owner  

As the video went viral, viewers shared their opinions, with some siding with the owner and others criticizing the owner for petty behavior. One of the commenters stated, “Does the restaurant sell cakes? Other than that, the only concern is related to the Health Dept. Assuming they did call ahead as stated, and the pizza place doesn’t sell cakes, then this response is insane.” Another one claimed, “That woman acts like typical Jersey shore trash ruining a child’s birthday party like that. She could have mentioned it quietly and charged an extra fee if it was about the additional work. Screaming like an unhinged lunatic shows her character.”

Others seemed to be on the restaurant owner’s side, as one of the commenters stated, “What next? Are going to bring in their own food they cooked at home and eat it at the restaurant?” Another one claimed, “That’s the law in most states. You can’t bring food from the outside into a restaurant, for liability purposes. What happens if someone gets sick after eating the cake? They can sue the restaurant.”

This appeared to be the audience’s feedback on the birthday incident. There’s no follow-up video from the family or the restaurant owner’s response offering any further insight into what happened next. The incident has not been independently verified.