Shireen Afkari, a senior manager at Strava, was arrested Saturday night after a viral incident showing her assaulting restaurant staff at Hazie's, a Hayes Valley restaurant co-owned by celebrity chef Joey Altman, San Francisco police confirmed.
The confrontation occurred around 9:41 p.m. when restaurant staff called 911 following a physical altercation involving Afkari and her companion, identified as Christian Bruchman. Video footage from the scene shows Afkari yelling at employees, filming them with her phone, entering the kitchen, and slapping a hostess before being physically removed by staff.
The situation escalated outside on the sidewalk when Afkari grabbed bartender Miguel Marchese’s hair as he attempted to de-escalate the incident. Bystanders intervened, and Marchese reportedly freed himself by tossing Afkari’s phone into the street. Marchese later said the incident, though shocking, was "routine for service workers" and he does not plan to press charges.
In response to the incident, Strava announced Afkari’s dismissal on Instagram, stating: "We are aware of an employee who exhibited extremely concerning off-hours behavior. We don't condone violence of any kind and this does not reflect the standards we expect of our team." Afkari’s LinkedIn profile has since been deleted, and she has not publicly commented.
The video, which circulated widely online during San Francisco's Santacon festivities, has sparked conversation about public intoxication and the challenges faced by service industry employees. Afkari was transported to San Francisco County Jail following her arrest.
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