'Eat and run': Four women settle P13K resto bill from six weeks ago as police shared their CCTV images
A group of English women did an "eat and run" scheme at a seafood restaurant in Scarborough town six weeks ago, leaving a bill worth 174 pounds (P13,000).
BBC reported that the party of four finally paid their bill last Friday, Oct. 25, after dining at Lookout on the Pier on Sept. 15.
They had a birthday celebration and splurged on two bottles of wine, oysters, a large chowder, and several tapas dishes. The restaurant even gave them a birthday cake, according to another BBC report.
They cleared their plates but didn't settle their bill, causing restaurant staff to become "upset and annoyed."
"They were right near the door and took the opportunity to do a runner," said restaurant owner Gillian Partridge. "It has a massive impact, we can’t afford to be losing 174 pounds on a Sunday."
Their dine-and-dash prompted a closed-circuit television (CCTV) appeal to identify them.
The North Yorkshire Police released CCTV images of the four women.
Partridge said the women were allocated an hour and a half slot to dine in the restaurant but arrived late.
They were then asked to finish their drinks at the breakfast bar.
"Then we were getting busy and when the staff turned round, they’d gone," Partridge said.
When police got hold of them, the women emailed the restaurant claiming that its food was "awful," and that they were moved from the table so they thought it wasn't worth the money and left.
"But they ate everything and told the staff it was fab," Partridge said.
The police said no criminal action would be taken, at Partridge's request, since the bill was settled.
Partridge, who has been running the restaurant for five years, thanked the community for the support.
"It has been very touching," she said.
Since the incident, Partridge said customers had rallied around her business, and they have been "busier since."
"Our chef told me we had 490 hits on our website the other day," she said.
Partridge also recalled a female customer with her two young kids entering her restaurant but didn't order anything. Instead, she donated 10 pounds (P700) after hearing the news about the dine-and-dash.
"The money will be going to charity but it was lovely," she said.
Partridge is hoping for the incident to serve as a warning to future customers.
"Hopefully, the attention this got will make people like them think again," she said of the group of women.
