A Toronto pizzeria has responded to the claims of a former employee who peacefully called on others to boycott the restaurant in a viral video. 

The clip, uploaded by @reedinthestreet on Instagram, shows a man standing outside of Wilsetti Pizza in Forest Hill with a sign that reads, "Boycott. This restaurant keeps gratuities, mistreats chefs, and don't pay their wages and bonuses." 

The original poster is heard saying, "A lot of restaurants. It's a messed up industry," while the former employee responds, "It is." The video also shows a police officer standing on the sidewalk with the man, who was allegedly called over by the restaurant's owner, according to the employee. 

The video quickly amassed thousands of views on various social media platforms and hundreds of comments, where Toronto residents had polarizing conversations regarding fair wages in the city's restaurant industry, as well as the treatment of workers in the hospitality sector. 

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"Restaurant work was probably one of the most toxic work environments I've ever worked in," one person shared in response to the video. 

"Police have no business there! Peaceful protest on the public sidewalk!" another comment reads. 

After facing heavy criticism, the restaurant took to Google Reviews to provide a statement and defend its wages. 

"We are committed to providing fair and transparent compensation to all our employees, and we take such matters very seriously," the restaurant wrote in a statement posted on Friday morning. 

"We are committed to maintaining an open dialogue with our team and resolving any issues that arise promptly and fairly. We hope to move forward positively and continue providing a great experience for both our staff and our valued customers."

The restaurant went on to allege that the former employee quit without "any notice, nor explanation, and stormed out of the restaurant yelling and swearing" last Wednesday, leading many other team members to repeatedly check in on him and ask if he was okay. 

"[Employee's name] had never complained about his compensation until he went through this crisis, and was extremely well paid at $24.50 per hour, which is above the industry standard by over 25 per cent," the statement continues. 

"We are there for him whenever he is ready to talk with us."