When Ricardo, a server at Cazuelas Mexican Cantina in Columbus, Ohio, received a receipt with “ZERO” tip and a hateful note reading, “I hope Trump deports you!!!,” the community refused to stay silent.
Ricardo, a U.S. citizen working two jobs to support his family, quickly became the focus of an outpouring of support after a coworker shared the receipt on social media. The viral post led to a GoFundMe campaign that has raised thousands for Ricardo, proving that kindness and solidarity can overpower hate. Meanwhile, the customer responsible—identified as a local realtor—has faced swift backlash, including losing her professional affiliation.
On Sunday, March 2, 2025, Ricardo was working at Cazuelas Mexican Cantina in Columbus, Ohio. A customer left him a “ZERO” tip with a hateful note on the receipt, saying, “I hope Trump deports you!!!”
![Receipts showing the hateful message, 'Tip: Zero, you suck. [...] I hope Trump deports you!!!'](https://uploads.dailydot.com/2025/03/mexican-restaurant-hate-message-1.jpg?auto=compress&fm=pjpg)
Fabio Oribo, the head of marketing at Cazuelas, told NBC4, “It’s just not right, just not right. He’s 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.”
A fellow employee shared a photo of the receipt, along with a clean merchant copy, on Facebook, where it quickly went viral. The post has amassed over 11K reactions and shared over 9K times since she posted it on March 2. In the caption, she wrote, “Yall love our food but hate us. Shame on you Stephanie for not having the courage to say it with your chest.” The post ignited a wave of support from the community. Many are expressing their outrage over the hateful message, and their solidarity with Ricardo.
The community raises money to support Ricardo
A GoFundMe campaign titled “Tip Ricardo: Because Hate Has No Place Here” was launched by a community member to show appreciation for Ricardo. The fundraiser’s description highlighted the incident and called for support, stating, “Well, guess what? Hate doesn’t win here. The internet has already handled the people responsible (so no need to waste energy on them). This fundraiser is about lifting up Ricardo and showing him that the community stands with him.”
The campaign set an initial goal of $1K; however, the outpouring of generosity surpassed expectations, raising over $8K from more than 560 donors in one day. One donor commented, “The people are with you, Ricardo! :D” in Spanish.
For those interested in contributing to the ongoing support for Ricardo, the GoFundMe campaign remains active, with all proceeds going directly to him.
CENTURY 21 cuts ties with the realtor responsible
The receipt indicates a realtor named Stephanie R Lovins was responsible for the note. Social media users found her profiles across platforms and contacted CENTURY 21, the company she worked for, en masse.
Upon learning of the situation, the company issued a statement condemning the act to NBC4, saying, “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, as all companies affiliated with the CENTURY 21 brand are independently owned and operated, we can confirm that this agent is no longer affiliated with the brand.”
Cazuelas Mexican Cantina has also posted a message on their Facebook page denouncing the customers’ hateful comments.
They write, “At Cazuelas Mexican Cantina, 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!”
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