Stepping out of your comfort zone is never easy. But it’s made even less so when you think you’re not welcome in a new space—wherever that may be. For one Tennessee family, what started as a palate-expanding sushi adventure turned into a chicken-fried debacle.
In a viral TikTok, Ceylan Rucker (@ceylanrucker) alleges that the owner of Daylight Sushi was beyond rude in a situation that was simply a mix-up. “Believe it or not, my husband and I have never had sushi,” she says.
So they decided to remedy this by visiting the “highly recommended” restaurant near their neighborhood. Based on her description, the restaurant is fast casual. You order at a counter and get your food delivered to your seat.
“Every time someone asks if we like sushi, we say, ‘No, we don’t like it,” she explains. But the truth is, neither she nor her husband has actually eaten sushi.
“We were so excited to try it,” says Rucker.
Chicken. Fried. Rice.
The problems started when she and her husband tried to order a meal for their 1-year-old daughter. They wanted something simple for the baby to enjoy, so they ordered chicken fried rice—or at least that’s what they thought they ordered.
“We order a salmon roll for me, a spicy tuna roll for my husband, and then I ordered fried rice. I say, ‘Can I get the fried rice with chicken, please,'” she says.
She notes that she specified “chicken” because there were several proteins to choose from.
And here’s where things get confused. She says she explained to the cashier that she wanted it however they regularly sell it. They paid and then waited for their food. But as they waited, Rucker alleges that the owner/chef was standing behind the counter and “mean-mugging” her 1-year-old daughter.
“He’s staring at her like she’s a problem,” she says.
An Easy Fix?
But that’s just the beginning because the baby’s food came out wrong, Rucker says. As the dishes are served, Rucker noticed that her child’s meal is rice, chicken, and noodles with sauce—not what she ordered. She says she brought this to her server’s attention, and she was informed that this meal is the chicken rice bowl.
At this point, it should be an easy swap. But Rucker says the chef/owner ultimately blamed Rucker for ordering incorrectly.
Then, Rucker claims, he yelled an ultimatum across the restaurant, “You either get chicken fried rice, or you get a full refund and leave.”
Rucker says they went with the rice.
Should’ve Gotten The Refund
But even as the family tried to enjoy their meal, she says the restaurant staff talked about them at an audible volume.
Several of the 128,800 people who’ve watched the video are Rucker’s neighbors. And they’ve had similar experiences at the restaurant, they claimed.
“I went with my toddlers and he sent the waiter to our table to tell me my kids needed to sit properly in there [sic] seats. Keep in mind they are 2 and 3 at the time and couldn’t reach the table properly to eat . Mean mugged us the whole time was extremely rude. Decided to try a second time without the kiddos and was still extremely rude! Never again,” said one.
Another neighbor weighed in, writing, “So sorry Mama, this place is not great. I’ve tried several times and it’s just not good.”
Next, the chat takes a Glassdoor-style turn: “I don’t want to get trouble if I say too much but imma just say the management style was just as bad as the customer service,” claimed a user who said she worked there for about 18 months.
What Should She Have Done?
Sometimes restaurants with harsh tendencies can have a certain abrupt charm. But not always. So what’s a hungry guest to do? While there’s no rule to force a business owner to be polite, the most effective course of action can be to share your experience online and in reviews. Also: Don’t return.
Because restaurants are hospitality spaces, most people expect a gracious experience. But you never know who is having a bad day. Or, a bad life. So perhaps take any refund offered and spend it where your patronage is appreciated.
BroBible reached out to Daylight Sushi via Instagram direct message and to Ceylan Rucker via TikTok direct message and with a comment on her post. We will update this article if either respond.
@ceylanrucker 10/10 WOULD NOT RECOMMEND #daylightsushi #springhilltn #springhill #sushi #foodreview