On the evening of October 11, 2025, the Atlantis Gentlemen’s Club near Tampa, Florida, became the unlikely stage for one of the state’s latest bizarre headlines. In a story that feels almost tailor-made for the “Florida man” archives, a 26-year-old former strip club employee, Jordan Cotto, found himself at the center of a culinary confrontation that quickly escalated from a war of words to a literal food fight.
According to court records and reporting from WWSB and The Smoking Gun, Cotto arrived at the Atlantis Gentlemen’s Club on 66th Street North around 9:30 p.m. that Friday night. He wasn’t there to enjoy the usual entertainment, but rather to settle a grievance with club management. What began as a heated verbal argument between Cotto and a manager quickly spiraled into an incident that would have both law enforcement and the public shaking their heads in disbelief.
As tensions flared, Cotto stormed out to his car, retrieved a cheeseburger—yes, a cheeseburger—from his vehicle, and hurled it at the manager. The sandwich struck the victim in the left upper shoulder, an act that, while sounding comical, resulted in what authorities described as “bodily harm.” The arrest affidavit, as cited by WWSB, notes, “Cotto grabbed a cheeseburger from his vehicle and threw it at the manager, which struck the victim in the left upper shoulder and did cause bodily harm.” The extent of the injuries isn’t detailed, but the incident was deemed serious enough to warrant a criminal charge.
The club, located just outside Tampa in Pinellas County, has seen its share of colorful patrons, but this particular episode seemed to stand out for its sheer absurdity. The idea of a cheeseburger being used as a weapon might sound like the stuff of slapstick comedy, but for those involved, it was no laughing matter. The victim, whose name has not been released, reported the incident to authorities, prompting a swift response from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
When deputies arrived on the scene, they found Cotto still present. After being advised of his rights, Cotto didn’t shy away from admitting his actions. In fact, he doubled down on his decision, reportedly telling the deputy, “he would do it again.” According to the criminal complaint obtained by The Smoking Gun, Cotto stated, “he did throw a cheeseburger from his vehicle.” This candid admission, paired with his apparent lack of remorse, added a layer of peculiarity to the case that even seasoned law enforcement officers found noteworthy.
While the use of a cheeseburger as a projectile is certainly rare, the consequences for Cotto were very real. He was charged with simple battery and booked into the Pinellas County Jail. Jail records indicate that Cotto was later released on his own recognizance, meaning he did not have to post bail to leave custody. The arrest affidavit also noted that, while there were no signs of drug use or mental health issues, there was an indication that alcohol may have played a role in the evening’s events.
“The deputy noted in the document while no signs of drug use or mental health issues were observed, there was an indication of alcohol influence,” WWSB reported. The details of Cotto’s alleged intoxication were not elaborated upon, but the mention suggests that alcohol may have contributed to the escalation from argument to airborne cheeseburger.
This wasn’t Cotto’s first run-in with the law in 2025, either. Just a month prior to the cheeseburger incident, Cotto had been arrested for a far more conventional crime: robbing his uncle’s boat. According to The Smoking Gun, during that episode, Cotto stole a gun and later sold it to another relative for $300. The juxtaposition of these two incidents—a serious theft involving a firearm and a slapstick battery involving fast food—paints a picture of a young man whose decision-making has landed him in trouble more than once this year.
For many, the story has prompted bemusement and a flurry of jokes online. Social media users have been quick to point out the uniquely Floridian nature of the crime, with some suggesting that only in the Sunshine State could a cheeseburger become the weapon of choice in a late-night dispute. Yet, beneath the layers of humor and incredulity, the incident also highlights the unpredictable and sometimes volatile nature of confrontations in nightlife settings.
Battery charges, even when the weapon is as innocuous as a cheeseburger, are no laughing matter in the eyes of the law. Florida statutes define battery as any actual and intentional touching or striking of another person against their will, and the use of food as a projectile doesn’t exempt a perpetrator from prosecution. In this case, the authorities determined that the cheeseburger had indeed caused bodily harm, satisfying the criteria for a criminal charge.
The Atlantis Gentlemen’s Club, for its part, has not issued a public statement about the incident. The management’s silence is perhaps understandable, given the unusual nature of the altercation and the potential embarrassment it could bring to the establishment. For now, the club’s reputation rests, at least temporarily, on the shoulders of a single cheeseburger and the man who threw it.
As for Cotto, his future remains uncertain. The legal process will play out in the coming weeks, with the battery charge likely to be adjudicated in Pinellas County Court. Whether he faces additional consequences for his previous arrest related to the boat robbery is unclear, but his recent actions have certainly earned him a place in the annals of Florida’s most outrageous news stories.
It’s tempting to dismiss such incidents as mere curiosities—fodder for internet memes and water cooler jokes. But, as law enforcement officials are quick to remind the public, even seemingly harmless actions can have serious legal ramifications. “The defendant stated he did throw a cheeseburger from his vehicle,” the criminal complaint reads, a line that will no doubt be repeated for years to come by those who track the state’s most unusual crimes.
For now, Florida’s reputation for outlandish headlines remains intact. And somewhere in Tampa, the story of the flying cheeseburger will live on as a reminder that, in the Sunshine State, you never quite know what the next news cycle will bring.
