Keith Lee Gifts Struggling Dallas Food Truck $4,000 to Pay It Forward — Why They’re Being Slammed for Allegedly Keeping the Money and Stiffing Workers
A struggling food truck business in Dallas that received a $4,000 tip from popular TikTok influencer Keith Lee is being slammed online after the owner allegedly stiffed an influencer and her barber brother.
Lee, who has gone viral for doing food tours in various cities, paid a visit to Sweetly Seasoned food truck on Jan. 31 after being tagged in a video from another social media influencer named Sherelle Hodge. While at Sweetly Seasoned, Lee ordered food for his wife and those who accompanied him. He also offered a generous tip to Hodge’s younger brother, a barber who was providing haircuts near the truck.
“I see y’all giving out haircuts … we want to pay $1,000 to the barber so he can cut everybody else for free,” Lee said in a video.
He added that he also wanted to leave Hodge with a $2,000 tip. In total, Lee’s card was charged $4,000, which Hodge said he put on the Sweetly Seasoned’s Square account, assuming she and her brother would genuinely be compensated later.
In addition to the generous amount, Hodge says Lee left an extra $886 to feed everyone else who would come to the food truck that night.
But things took a turn for the worse after Lee left, according to Hodge, who has accused Sweetly Seasoned owner Kim Viverette of keeping the funds for herself.
“I gave you the chance to do right…. You didn’t want to! SO ITS UP!” Hodge captioned a video detailing what happened for her 77,000 Instagram followers.
She admits she was only there because her friend, the owner’s son, asked her to come and help his mom’s business for the day. According to Hodge, after providing free meals for only three customers, Viverette told her to charge everyone else — despite Lee’s request.
“If this man left you almost $1,000, why the f—k would you stop handing free food out after the third person? Make it make sense,” Hodge stated.
When she approached Viverette about how much Lee spent, which she claims totaled $5,200, Viverette purportedly said, “I know, girl, I’m so excited! Before I got on here, I was broke.”
Hodge said things got personal when the owner “played with” the money that was intended to go to her younger brother for haircuts.
“She told me she said, ‘Look, I just want to let you know it will be about a day or two before you guys get your money.”
Due to her familiarity with Square for her own personal business, Hodge says that she knows that the platform usually clears large transactions the next day for longtime clients.
Hodge then accused the owner of portraying to the world that her brother was giving out haircuts for free despite him advertising his prices on a pre-made flyer.
She said afterward, people kept coming to her wanting to support Sweetly Seasoned, and she would direct them to the owner’s page.
The next day, she texted Viverette asking about the funds and messages show Viverette replied, “Please call me back so an agreement can be made.”
THEN THE OWNER TURNED AROUND AND STIFFED MY BROTHER ON HIS TIP AFTER I TOLD HER SHE COULD KEEP THE MONEY HE LEFT FOR ME! https://t.co/P7hQKsDjdX
— Ess Ess Aché (@essessacheee) February 1, 2024
Hodge claims they spoke over the phone before the text message exchange, and Viverette told her, “I didn’t invite your brother to come out there. I didn’t invite you, my son invited you, so what I’mma do is I’mma give $1,000 to my son and he’ll give y’all whatever it is he sees fit.”
Hodge added that she no longer cared about getting paid herself but only wanted to ensure her brother, who came from Louisiana, was fairly compensated according to Lee’s request.
“Keith Lee don’t know my brother, my brother don’t know Keith Lee. My brother don’t know any of y’all out here but when you gave him the green light to post his flyers after he cut both of your sons’ hair for free.”
Hodge said she never got so much as “thank you” from Viverette after the night was over. She then reiterated that Keith Lee and his family only showed up to the food truck after noticing her Live, adding “You wanted the Keith Lee effect.”
Standing on business, as they say, or in Hodge’s case, standing on “integrity and Principle,” she sent an email to Lee explaining what happened. After her brother spoke with Viverette that night, she allegedly told him, “You missed your blessing, but I got the money that Keith Lee gave you. I’mma give it to you when my money clears.”
Hodge insists Viverette closed down the food truck shortly after Lee left, which was odd, considering days before, she was complaining that the family business she ran with support from her two sons was struggling. She is now making it her mission to ensure her family member gets what was rightfully left for him.
“I won’t stop until my brother gets his money,” Hodge wrote on X. “Keith Lee said to give it to the barber… and I’m gone post the blessing blockage you did everywhere I can!! Sweetly Seasoned.. YOU OWE HIM!”
Viverette responded to Hodge’s accusation in a video on her Instagram page, stating that she is not a “scammer” or a “thief,” but Hodge is.
I WON’T STOP UNTIL MY BROTHER GETS HIS MONEY!!!
Keith Lee said to give it to the barber… and I’m gone post the blessing blockage you did everywhere I can!!
Sweetly Seasoned.. YOU OWE HIM!
— Ess Ess Aché (@essessacheee) February 1, 2024
She gave a shoutout to her son, whom she credits for the “marketing” via Facebook and other sources that helped bring Keith Lee to her establishment. She insists she doesn’t know Hodge “that well” but her son does and she told him she wanted to be there to meet Lee.
Viverette agreed with online critics that Hodge deserves to be compensated for her efforts in promoting the brand on her platforms on the day of Lee’s visit.
She said she was “not fully aware of what’s going on outside” but claims it was her son who called the barber to cut his hair, not everyone else’s.
She joked that she feels like “Martin Luther King Jr.” for getting so many hate calls and threats over the incident. She also claims Hodge had a woman come up there looking to get her hair braided by Hodge.
“I built this business from the ground up me and my son and for her to even think because she called somebody out there just to braid her hair that she deserves $1,000,” she said while getting emotional.
Had Lee announced that he was paying for other people’s haircuts, Kim said she would have honored it. “This man was not with me; he was one solely there because my son called him to cut his hair,” she said, adding that her son paid for their haircuts out of pocket.
She insists she gave out free food until 9 p.m. even though she was supposed to close at 5 p.m. The money didn’t hit her account until the morning of Feb. 1.
Towards the end of the video, Viverette began sharing her accolades and how hard she’s worked for her business and plans to give her son what he deserves. She agreed to give the barber his money if and only if Lee contacts her and tells her to give him the money. Otherwise, it seems that Hodge’s brother may not be compensated.