A Florida woman landed herself in hot water after a heated confrontation over missing dipping sauces at a Raising Cane’s restaurant in Clearwater. Authorities say 31-year-old McKenzie Anne Keeling didn’t get the eight packs of Cane’s Sauce she had ordered, and things escalated quickly from there.
Last Friday afternoon, Keeling picked up her meal from the popular chicken finger spot and drove off, only to realize later that her beloved sauces were missing. Frustrated, she called the restaurant and let them know she was coming back to get what was missing.
When she returned, Keeling was met by the restaurant manager, who tried to assist her. The manager handed over the missing sauces, but Keeling wasn’t satisfied. She demanded additional sauces to make up for her “wasted time and gas.” When the manager declined to give her the extras for free, Keeling’s frustration boiled over.
The situation turned chaotic when Keeling demanded the manager’s name, and the manager refused to share it. Witnesses said Keeling started yelling and causing a scene, disrupting both staff and customers. Things took a physical turn when Keeling allegedly struck the manager in the thigh and grabbed at a lanyard attached to the manager’s belt loop, which held her employee ID card and keys. She tried to yank it away, according to the police report.
The whole incident was caught on security cameras and witnessed by two other restaurant employees. Authorities say Keeling wasn’t drunk or under the influence, and she didn’t appear to have any mental health issues during the outburst.
Keeling was arrested and charged with strong-arm robbery, a felony. She was briefly held in jail before being released on a $2,500 bond. According to court records, she has pleaded not guilty.
This isn’t the first time a dispute over condiments has led to legal trouble. In a bizarre 2022 case, a New York City man was accused of killing a Chinese food deliveryman in an argument over the amount of duck sauce included with his meal.
When contacted for comment, Keeling remained silent, and her attorney, Roger D. Futerman, didn’t respond to inquiries. The manager, whose name is being withheld, also declined to comment on the incident.
While most fast-food disputes end with a simple apology or a free replacement, this one clearly went way too far.
