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A woman named Stephanie Lovins is currently trending online after her alleged discriminatory remark on a restaurant bill directed at her waiter Ricardo, a U.S. citizen, went viral. She was reportedly unhappy over the outlet’s “one coupon per table” policy, as per Newsweek.
Lovins is a 49-year-old realtor from Blacklick, Ohio who worked at Century 21 for nearly three decades. She ate at the Cazuelas Mexican Restaurant & Cantina in Columbus, the capital city of Ohio, on March 2, 2025, and wrote on the bill:
“I HOPE TRUMP DEPORTS YOU!!!”
Beside the tip option, Stephanie Lovins added, “Zero, you suck.” The image of the bill that has now emerged online also showed her handwriting as she rewrote the total amount of $87.84.
According to the NDTV, the picture of the receipt was uploaded on Facebook by one of the restaurant employees, Isabel Nathalie, the day after the incident. Reportedly, after Stephanie Lovins’ derogatory message went viral, she was fired from her job as a real estate agent at the firm, Century 21.
More about Stephanie Lovins and the ongoing controversy surrounding her
Stephanie Lovins is a seasoned realtor with over 27 years of experience who worked at Century 21, the world’s largest residential real estate sales firm, until she was ousted earlier this week for her note.
She co-owns an electrical business named Rite Way Electric in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, with her husband, Donnie, as per Daily Mail.
A spokesperson for the company issued a statement to the press.
“We are aware of the situation with the agent in question. Hate has no place within the Century 21 brand, and we are taking this very seriously. After investigating the situation and connecting with the respective broker… we can confirm that this agent is no longer affiliated with the brand,” the representative shared, as per the NY Post.
Meanwhile, in the wake of online backlash, Lovins took to a local Facebook page where she claimed she was targeted by “scammers and profile hackers,” adding her “credit card was lost/ stolen and someone attempted to use it.”
Stephanie claimed she couldn’t address the situation before as she was busy ensuring that her card was blocked and the matter was reported to her bank. She concluded by thanking her followers for their “patience.” Her account has since been deleted.
However, Cazuelas Mexican Restaurant & Cantina marketing manager Fabio Oribio reviewed the surveillance footage and confirmed that it was Lovins who visited their outlet and wrote the note, as reported by The Columbus Dispatch.
Oribio told NBC4, “It’s just not right,” when asked to comment on the incident.
"He's [Ricardo] a really good person and like I said, we all here, like, come here every day to do our job, which is to serve people and have a good time. This is just a space for being inclusive and there's no space for hate inside Cazuelas," Fabio further stated.
The restaurant also shared a statement on Facebook. They claimed it was a “normal Sunday” with a “little longer than usual” wait. However, they weren’t sure why Stephanie Lovins wrote the concerned note.
“We believe in the power of respect, tolerance and acceptance. Recently, one of our team members faced an unacceptable situation, and we stand firmly against any form of hate or discrimination. Together, we will continue to create a welcoming space for everyone. Thank you for your unwavering support!” the post, dated March 3, added.
The person also mentioned that the concerned waiter is named Ricardo, who is an American citizen working two jobs. Since the incident garnered traction across social media, a GoFundMe titled "Tip Ricardo: Because Hate Has No Place Here" has been started to help Ricardo get the “tip he deserves.”
As per Daily Mail, it has raised more than $13,000 against the goal of $1,000 by Wednesday morning.
His colleague Isabel Nathalie shared via social media that Ricardo was disabled in one arm yet worked two jobs the entire week, including Sundays at Cazuelas. Meanwhile, Newsweek reported that a group of their regular customers were planning to hit the restaurant next week to make Ricardo’s shift special.
Stephanie Lovins’ incident comes in the wake of the Trump administration’s ongoing mass deportation of illegal/ undocumented immigrants from the USA.
