I’m a waiter – two customers ran out without paying a $150 bill using restroom trick, I have a simple message for them
WORKERS at a new seafood restaurant have slammed a couple of alleged dine and dashers who left without paying for their $150 meal.
Management at Oyster Bar Sacramento, in California, have a message for people who eat and don’t pay.
On August 11, two people came in and ran up a $150 bill before excusing themselves to the restroom.
When the waitress came back with the bill to be paid, the two diners were nowhere to be seen.
The server explained: “By the time I went to print their check and bring it to them, they were already gone… and then that’s when I realized that they just left without paying.”
In a post by the restaurant on their Facebook page, they explained that at other restaurants, typically the server has to cover any unpaid bills, but they do not follow the “unfair” practice.
They directly addressed the woman, writing: “We wanted to let you know you and your boyfriend ate and forgot to pay.”
Oyster Bar Sacramento then asked for the couple to come back and pay the bill, offering an ultimatum: “Also the video of you eating and leaving will be posted and shared if this isn’t resolved.”
On Thursday, they followed through with their threat, updating the post with a video link.
Surveillance footage shows the couple leaving the table and eventually driving away in their white SUV.
The restaurant says that their faces will remain blurred and won’t be revealed “yet, in hopes it’s still a mistake.”
The restaurant manager, Kevin Subac, said that the establishment only opened last year and they are “trying to just stay afloat.”
No police report has been filed as the restaurant is only looking for them to come back and pay their bill.
Subac explained: “We just want them to come forward and pay for the bill, just to get everything sorted out. We’re not trying to blow it up in any type of way or try to embarrass them or anything,”
He says it comes down to two things: “It’s all about your ethics, your morals.”
The whole debacle has gained traction online and made its way to Social media.
One TikTok, one user said she found out about the ordeal through a server’s Facebook group.
She went on to explain that at her restaurant, she would be expected to cover the cost of the bill, regardless of price; she even had to confront a group of dine-and-dashers earlier in the week.
“I just think it’s crazy that people still do this. Like, we are all out here fighting for our lives, trying to pay our bills… please go back and pay your bill.”
At now over 19 thousand comments, people have also taken to speaking their minds on the original Facebook post; many are bashing the restaurant for ‘boasting’ that they did not charge the server.
One person wrote: “Even talking about ‘normally servers responsibility but we didn’t’ actually gross. It is NOT normal.”
Someone pointed out that the practice is actually illegal: “Don’t make it sound like you’re nice guys for not charging the server. It’s illegal to charge employees for shortages.”
Another user agreed, posting a photo of the exact law and commenting: “Maybe don’t talk about how it’s normal to deduct wages from servers for walkouts, it’s not a good look even if you have to ‘boast’ you don’t do that.”
Although the restaurant is facing this backlash from its post, many other Facebook users have approved of their sense of justice.
Multiple commenters have taken to an encouraging “Get ’em,” in response to the original post.
A particularly confused commenter addressed the server controversy writing: “WHY are the majority you so focused on the restaurant NOT charging the server who did not collect on the bill? The real focus should be on the humans that stole, not just food but the server’s time.”