'I was the one that paid the $500': Server forced to pay the bill after table of 11 dines and dashes

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Sep 5, 2023 2:00 PM EDT

The most infuriating part of this story is how common this phenomenon seems to be among other servers. Several folks in the comments section of this Reddit thread pointed out that they too would be forced to pay up if any of their customers dined and dashed at a restaurant. Not only is this completely unfair, but this kind of policy is certainly not going to create a sense of loyalty among the restaurant staff. The underlying concept here is that it's the server's fault for allowing customers to get away without paying for their meals, as if thieves can always be detected in advance. This policy also operates under the assumption that servers don't have a million tables to be covering at any given time. How are they supposed to be watching one customer's every sudden movement when they have a million other orders to take? 

 

In short, this kind of policy along with so many policies that our servers have to deal with, is absolute nonsense. OP should not have had to pay a $500 bill because a seemingly unassuming family of 11 that included both children and grandparents decided to make a run for it before the check arrived. Keep scrolling below for the full story and for the best reactions in the comments section. Once again, one of the more upsetting revelations here is that this practice is more commonplace than one might think. For more stories like this, check out this more wholesome collection of "tales from your server!"

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  • 01
    Font - MY GARAGE "[I was] forced to pay nearly $500 because a table I was serving dine and dashed". ALFRED AFTCHCOCK'S PSYCHO A T Serve THONY PERKILE MES ON CRANE JAKET LEV A JINE MOTOR OIL LOR LUBRICATE! Esso Extra PERFECTLY CAROLINE
    via Dayanara Nacion
  • 02
    Font - Throwback to being forced to pay nearly $500 because a table I was serving dine and dashed I worked as a waiter for a few years, and every now and then we get scumbags who decide to dine and dash. Every time the bill will come out of the server's paycheck.
    via u/Blymin
  • 03
    Font - There was a big party of 11+ people; it was an entire family with kids, grandpa, relatives, etc. I worked in a chain restaurant in Las Vegas. Our location easily generated $10k a day on average, and there are now 5 different chains in the city. When the entire family decided not to pay and leave, my friend and I had to split the bill of about $500.
    via u/Blymin
  • 04
    Font - This restaurant generates thousands of dollars a day. They pay me below minimum wage and rely on tips to cover their deductions. I worked about 60 hours biweekly and got a paycheck of $300 post taxes and tip deductions. I get maybe $700 in tips in those two weeks. I was the one that paid the $500.
    via u/Blymin
  • 05
    Font - It really with you as a server. The entire time the family was happily eating, and I was giving all smiles and catering to their needs. Then a big slap to your face when you're in the back loading your tray with more food to serve, and the party decides to all get up and leave. The host is clueless as to whether they had paid, and the cashier for some reason didn't stop them.
    via u/Blymin
  • 06
    Font - Not only am I left with having wasted all that effort in serving a large table, but now my manager is screaming in my face and handing me the $500 fine. Even if I was there, what was I going to do? I could try to stop them from leaving and getting into even more unnecessary trouble by having to wait for the cops to show up and then file a charge against them. If I don't pay the fine, I'm going to lose my primary source of income.
    via u/Blymin
  • 07
    Font - That's not worth it. I shouldn't have to file charges so I don't lose half of what I'm going to earn in two weeks. The owner is a multi-millionaire, and I'm paying so that the restaurant doesn't lose $500 on a dine-and- dash.
    via u/Blymin
  • 08
    Font - thekaizers 13 hr. ago How is it legal that employees pay for the cost of fraud? Don't restaurants have insurance for these types of things? 4350 Reply Share
    via u/Blymin
  • 09
    Font - singerbeerguy. 13 hr. ago It's not legal, but if you don't pay they can fire you for "allowing it to happen." 194 Reply S
    via u/Blymin
  • 10
    Font - KermieKona You should not personally be responsible for the theft from your place of employment... any more than a cashier at 7-11 being charged for the stolen property due to shoplifting or a robbery. 13 hr. ago It will take servers refusing to pay this and suing their employers for either wage theft or wrongful termination (if they are fired) for this practice to change.
    via u/Blymin
  • 11
    Font - Blymin OP 13 hr. ago Honestly, I agree with servers standing up but it is a big step. I can't imagine the lawyer process and fees for servers, considering most of us are young adults with barely any savings
    via u/Blymin
  • 12
    Font - No-Mail972 13 hr. ago I used to have to pay for those as a server, too. I worked at a mid-range pizza place so nothing like $500 tab. A lot of the time, I would just get shorted like a $50 bill and they would leave $40. This is not talked about enough - you are your server, not a huge corporation!
    via u/Blymin
  • 13
    Font - Blymin OP 13 hr. ago Exactly. If you want to steal from Walmart or any other billion dollar corporation I could care less. The department stores usually expect people to steal and account for it to begin with.
    via u/Blymin
  • 14
    Font - But even big name restaurants are charging their servers for bills being shorted. Forgot to punch a glass of wine? Get ready to hand over your tips and cover it yourself.
    via u/Blymin
  • 15
    Font - I did not sign my pay up to be collateral. Even in the instance where it was my mistake (forgetting to charge a drink), I don't think it should be up to me to pay the difference.
    via u/Blymin
  • 16
    Font - Imaginary-Pin2564. 12 hr. ago I would wait until the place is super busy and short staffed, and walk off the job. that manager. Even better if you can steal some of your money back on the way out.
    via u/Blymin
  • 17
    Font - Blymin OP 11 hr. ago It's hard because I get treated like but i really liked my coworkers who were all pretty much in the same boat as me. Couldn't walk off and have them deal with it by themselves. Owner cracked down on giving people too many hours so we were skeleton crew every single day.
    via u/Blymin
  • 18
    Font - adimwit 2 hr. ago · edited 2 hr. ago They pay me below minimum wage and rely on tips to cover their deductions. The restaurant can't force you to pay anything then. That's 100% illegal. You are legally required to make minimum wage every week. They can pay a wage below minimum and cover the rest in tips, but both combined have to add up to at least minimum wage.
    via u/Blymin
  • 19
    Font - If they deduct any money from your checks to pay for lost property, they aren't paying you minimum wage anymore and that's illegal. Refuse to pay for the meal. If they deduct it anyway, that's wage theft. File a complaint with the local DOL or the DOL WHD.
    via u/Blymin
  • 20
    Font - https://www.dol.gov/age ncies/whd/compliance- assistance/handy- reference-guide- flsa#:~:text-Deductions %20made%20from%20w ages%20for,pay%20due %20under%20the%20FL SA. Find your pay stubs and submit them in your complaint showing how much they deducted. You have 2-years max to do this. So if the restaurant did this often, you can submit 2 years worth of your checks to get all the money they illegally deducted. If they took a lot of money, like thousands, you can probably sue for damages.
    via u/Blymin
  • 21
    Font - Edit: Note that you don't need a lawyer when filing a DOL complaint. The DOL will act as your lawyer if they find the company stole your wages. They will force the company to sit down and come up with a settlement, which at a minimum will cover all the money they stole. If the amount was excessive, like several thousands, or that losing that money caused damages (like losing a house) you can hire a lawyer and sue for higher damages.
    via u/Blymin

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tips workplace-stories toxic-manager work stories toxic-workplace server work restaurant toxic-boss reddit thread Reddit tales from your server toxic-work-environment
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