San Francisco Woman Arrested After Viral Brawl at Hayes Valley Restaurant

A video that exploded across TikTok and other social‑media platforms shows a chaotic scene inside Haz’s, a restaurant in San Francisco’s Hayes Valley neighborhood. The clip captures Shireen Afkari, a woman who was later arrested for public intoxication, engaging in a violent altercation with staff and bystanders.

The Viral Video

The footage begins with Afkari walking behind the bar, her phone in hand as she records herself. She shouts expletives at the bartender and the crew while attempting to keep her camera rolling. The camera captures her slapping a buser and then taking a phone out of a staff member’s hand. A second angle shows her struggling with a staff member over the phone before she seemingly attacks another off‑duty employee, who then falls to the floor.

The Altercation

Bartender Michael Marchese told reporters that he and his colleagues were trying to calm the situation and document what was happening, but Afkari would not relent. “She was quite enraged,” Marchese said. “A lot of people were like, ‘Oh, she was on the verge of leaving.’ She wasn’t. She ended up slapping one of the bussers, I believe.” Marchese also described how he had to forcibly remove Afkari from the restaurant and how other staff had to remove the man who was with her. He added, “I needed to give her an incentive to let me go, so I grabbed her phone and, yeah, I chucked it across the street hoping she would run after it,” Marchese said.

Manager’s Account

The manager who was on duty at the time explained that he had cut off the couple because he realized they had already had way too much alcohol before they walked into the restaurant. He said that the excess drinking was what set Afkari off in the first place. The manager emphasized that the staff had been trying to diffuse the situation and that the violence was unexpected.

Arrest and Firing

Following the incident, San Francisco police arrested Afkari and detained her for public intoxication. She was also fired from her job at Haz’s. A post pinned to the Strava Instagram account, which is based in San Francisco, read in part, “We don’t condone violence of any kind and this does not reflect the standards we expect of our team.”

Media Outreach

NBC Bay Area attempted to contact Afkari for comment but was unable to reach her. The outlet has not yet released a statement from her side.

Marchese’s Perspective

When asked about the incident, Marchese said he was not injured and expressed gratitude for people reaching out to him and his colleagues. “People who work in hospitality go through a lot,” he said. “I’ve been spat on, I’ve been slapped at a bar before, homophobic slurs, been sexualized by guests. It just happens and, you know, you gotta move on.”

Key Takeaways

• Shireen Afkari was arrested for public intoxication after a violent altercation at Haz’s.
• Bartender Michael Marchese described the fight and his attempts to deescalate the situation.
• The manager cited excessive alcohol consumption as a trigger for the incident.
• Afkari was fired and the restaurant issued a statement condemning the violence.
• NBC Bay Area could not obtain a comment from Afkari.

The incident serves as a stark reminder of how quickly a seemingly ordinary evening can turn violent, and it highlights the challenges faced by hospitality workers when dealing with intoxicated patrons. The viral video and subsequent arrest have sparked discussions about safety protocols in restaurants and the need for clear policies to protect staff.