An immigrant restaurant owner in New York City was mocked for her foreign accent by a cruel customer who told her to \u201cspeak good English\u201d in a viral video.<\/p>\n
The owner of Mamali NYC, Mariam, who is from the country of Georgia, posted the bizarre and unwarranted interaction on the restaurant\u2019s TikTok last week, showing the rude customer upset that he was having trouble understanding her saying the word \u201cbowl.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mariam, 25, explains clearly \u2014 in English \u2014 to the short-fused male customer that she\u2019s an immigrant from Georgia and that her English may not be perfect as she works with him to place his order.<\/p>\n
However, the unidentified customer, seemingly looking to pick an argument, refuses to accept her \u201cexcuse\u201d for why he can\u2019t understand her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re working in America, so you should speak good English. That\u2019s not an excuse,\u201d he boldly proclaimed.<\/p>\n
The customer \u2014 whose face was not shown on camera \u2014 then asks Mariam how long she has been living in the US, to which she replies four years.<\/p>\n
\u201cFour years, and you didn\u2019t think to learn better English?\u201d the ill-mannered man rudely questions her.<\/p>\n
He then became so upset with the 25-year-old foreign entrepreneur that he demanded to speak to another \u201cowner\u201d who speaks \u201cbetter English.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mariam explains to him that she\u2019s the owner, which only infuriates the customer further.<\/p>\n
The owner of Mamali NYC, Mariam, was mocked for her foreign accent by a cruel customer who told her to \u201cspeak good English\u201d in a viral video. TikTok \/ @mamali.nyc<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, I don\u2019t understand what you\u2019re saying, so I\u2019m going to leave you to it,\u201d he impolitely replied in a raised tone of voice. \u201cMaybe next time you can learn better English.\u201d<\/p>\n
She then asks him why he\u2019s screaming.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not screaming at you!\u201d He replies, telling her he\u2019s getting upset that her accent is \u201cwasting\u201d his time.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs it \u2018bowl\u2019 or is it \u2018bone?\u2019 Are you serving me a bone?\u201d he asks her in a condescending tone.<\/p>\n
Mariam, 25, explains clearly \u2014 in English \u2014 to the short-fused male customer that she\u2019s an immigrant from Georgia and that her English may not be perfect as she works with him to place his order. TikTok \/ @mamali.nyc<\/p>\n
After mocking Mariam further, he tells her to have a \u201cwonderful day\u201d and once more to \u201cgo learn some English.\u201d<\/p>\n
The young restaurant owner wrote in the caption of the viral TikTok video<\/a> \u2014 which has garnered over 3.5 million views since last week \u2014 that she may still have \u201can accent\u201d and might not know the meaning of \u201cevery word,\u201d but she\u2019s actively trying to learn.<\/p>\n The audacity of the customer to criticize her accent infuriated commenters.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with all you need to know\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMorning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \u201cYour English is perfect! Just remember, he only speaks ONE language,\u201d one user wrote.<\/p>\n \u201cYour English is better than 60% of American born English speakers,\u201d another commenter wrote.<\/p>\n \u201cHim saying \u2018you should speak good English\u2019 isn\u2019t even proper English,\u201d wrote another.<\/p>\n \u201cIn New York City, for anybody to disparage someone with an accent is so not New York,\u201d commented another.<\/p>\n Following the flurry of supportive and positive comments from viewers, Mariam recorded another video thanking them for their support.<\/p>\n Mariam recorded another video thanking people for their outpour of support following her interaction with the rude customer. TikTok \/ @mamali.nyc<\/p>\n Mamali NYC is located at the old Village Cigars in Greenwich Village. Billy Becerra \/ NY Post<\/p>\n \u201cA few days ago, a stranger guy mocked me because of my accent. Days later, countless strangers from all over the world show me love, support,\u201d she said, fighting back tears.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m so happy because of you guys. I\u2019m so thankful for all of you guys. Who cares about the guy anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n The 25-year-old went on to say that while the experience upset her, looking back, she\u2019s grateful it happened because it led her to interact with so many supportive people, who not only wrote kind words but also flooded her restaurant with business.<\/p>\n Mariam came to the US from Georgia to study, but after falling in love with New York City, she used the money she had planned to spend on her education to open Mamali NYC in the West Village, according to the restaurant\u2019s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n Her restaurant offers blends of Georgian comfort food with solid Australian coffee and inventive cocktails.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t