A Jersey Shore pizzeria is responding to a viral video showing its owner confronting a family who brought a birthday cake to the restaurant for their young child.

The incident took place August 2 at Joey Tomato’s, a family-run pizza shop on the boardwalk in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey. Owner Doreen Sullivan-Karcich was recorded confronting customer Tom Jurkowski and his family after they brought a cake for their 5-year-old’s birthday celebration.

Jurkowski said his family had spent about $250 at the restaurant and claimed they had called ahead and received permission from staff to bring the cake. According to his account, the situation escalated when the family later asked to borrow a knife to cut it.

Video recorded inside the restaurant shows Sullivan-Karcich objecting to the request and telling the family that customers could not simply bring outside items into the establishment and use restaurant equipment as they wished.

The video quickly spread online, prompting a wave of criticism from viewers who felt the confrontation was unnecessarily heated.

Jurkowski, who operates the Vintage New Jersey social media account, said the encounter was unlike anything he had experienced before. He later shared the footage publicly, where it sparked a broader discussion about restaurant policies and customer expectations.

Joey Tomato’s has since defended its position, arguing that the viral clip does not show the full context of the interaction.

In a statement, the restaurant emphasized that it is a pizza restaurant rather than a private party venue or bakery and said it maintains a policy against outside desserts.

The business also argued that restaurant policies can be connected to food safety, liability, and the practical demands of operating a busy kitchen, particularly during the summer season.

The restaurant said the online reaction was based largely on a short portion of the encounter and that viewers did not see what happened before the recording began.

Still, the controversy has continued to divide opinions. Some people believe the family should have followed the restaurant’s policy, while others say the situation could have been handled more calmly.

Several commenters suggested that a simple explanation from staff—or offering to cut the cake themselves—could have avoided the confrontation altogether.

The incident has now become a wider debate over where restaurant rules end and customer expectations begin, with both sides maintaining that their actions were justified.

Joey Tomato’s has stood by its policy, while the family involved has continued to face widespread public attention after the video went viral.