‘Pay first, then leave’: Server Catches Wind of Family’s Sly Attempt to Dine and Dash, Doesn’t Leave Their Side Until They Pay Their $200 Dollar Bill

Author image for Sienna Varady
Sienna Varady
Apr 12, 2024 5:00 PM EDT

Work in the food sector is never simple. It's more challenging, though, to work in the food industry with clients who are trying to score free meals.

The story below is an account of a puzzled server.  The Original Poster (OP) is a server at a local restaurant. As we all know by now, working in customer service has its challenges, but nothing could have prepared OP for the day when a family would attempt to score a free meal. The savvy family came up with a sly scheme to divert the attention of management and escape without paying for the meal. They failed to consider the chance, though, that the employees would catch wind of their plan and change it…

All that being said, be sure to read the story below if you're interested in learning what happened when OP realized the family was about to flee! And after you're done, don't forget to check out these hilarious workout memes for motivated gym rats powering through the workout!

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  • 01
    Not only were they using the cake and ice cream as a diversion to escape but the MOTHER was in on it. She tried to stall her payment hoping my manager would get busy and leave her with the bill as if we are not all aware of their intent by now. Safe to say we will probably not be seeing them again.
    via canva
  • 02
    Table tried to dine and dash but I came out and did their birthday shout out right in time
    via u/Rosequartzsurfboardt
  • 03
    My manager was a server on the floor tonight and had a large group that swallowed two of our tables. They brought their OWN cake and OWN ice cream and we kept it cool for them in our fridge. They sent her to retrieve it and she does. I grabbed our saddle and dragged it over and they were suddenly ALL standing up some people had left. It was definitely sus as st but whatevs. Doesn't matter. The show must go on,
    via u/Rosequartzsurfboardt
  • 04
    of course birthday person doesn't want to sit on the saddle so I do it and do the birthday song and dance. Call him out by name and just draw a large amount of attention to him. It was awkward of course. THEY STILL TRY TO LEAVE. and my manager luckily notices and gives the mom her check and doesn't leave her side.
    via u/Rosequartzsurfboardt
  • 05
    Not only were they using the cake and ice cream as a diversion to escape but the MOTHER was in on it. She tried to stall her payment hoping my manager would get busy and leave her with the bill as if we are not all aware of their intent by now. Safe to say we will probably not be seeing them again.
    via u/Rosequartzsurfboardt
  • 06
    Amapel Words cannot express how cathartically happy this makes me lol
    via u/Amapel
  • 07
    Rosequartzsurfboardt OP I was CACKLING when I found out. It made the oh f no faces from the party all the more satisfying. They wouldn't even look at me as I did the birthday holler. They were whispering amongst themselves. Wish we would have made off with the cake tho.
    via u/Rosequartzsurfboardt
  • 08
    jorahos1 Alright, that's about enough of this, I just can't go on with my day until I see this birthday song. I used to work at Red Robin, bout 15 years ago, not sure if they still do this but we had 5 or so different birthday chants we would clap and sing (loudly), and a giant bird costume
    via u/jorahos1
  • 09
    someone would wear and walk around the store and sing happy birthday to unsuspecting victims and crying children who were frightened by the giant bird costume.
    via u/jorahos1
  • 10
    Rosequartzsurfboardt OP So its less of a song and more of like an announcement. Attention Iwe have a very special bday in the house. My friend is turning xyz. On the count of three I need you all to stop what you're doing, swallow what you're chewing and give us
    via u/Rosequartzsurfboardt
  • 11
    your loudest proudest yeehaw! sized You can flex it as you need to but we yell it and yell it it loud. I made a little girl cry yesterday too because it was her bday and we wanted her to get on the
    via u/Rosequartzsurfboardt
  • 12
    saddle I can absolutely see how it's traumatizing. But A BIRD. I have been to red Robin and I have never seen a bird. I wasn't even sure red Robin had a mascot Imao.
    via u/Rosequartzsurfboardt
  • 13
    LitherLily Sorry but how does anyone get a group to do this?? I can't imagine anyone I go out to eat with who would be party to this, much less ALL of them??
    via u/LitherLily
  • 14
    ancient_mariner63 The others in the group may not have even been aware of the scam. They may have been told or assumed that the check was being taken care of by the Mom and so they didn't feel any responsibility to pay.
    via u/ancient_mariner63
  • 15
    [deleted] My restaurant requires a CC to start a tab. We can close out in cash if they want but I can't start an order without a card. It has made it so much easier; we also have a policy if anyone leaves without closing out it's an automatic 20%. This is a great story!
    via u/[deleted]
  • 16
    timdood3 So they brought in their own cake and ice cream, just to try to leave while you get it for them? And leave the cake that they presumably did pay for behind? How dumb can a person be?
    via u/timdood3
  • 17
    Rosequartzsurfboardt OP YES. that was EXACTLY what happened. First of all, if you're dine and dashing why even bring attention to yourself by stating that there was a birthday. My guess is they intended to pay at first but saw the check and didn't like that they ordered 200 dollars worth of food and tried to leave.
    via u/Rosequartzsurfboardt
  • 18
    wutangclanthug9mm Management My boss has a story about a group of people coming in and running a huge tab. They all left without paying but the server thought it was fine since they'd all left their coats. After like 20 minutes they go look at the coats and all the coats have like $0.99 price tags.
    via u/wutangclanthug9mm
  • 19
    these people went to the thrift store to buy coats they were going to leave behind so that they could dine n dash!
    via u/wutangclanthug9mm
  • 20
    wutangclanthug9mm Management We had two couples order a bunch of food. One couple left and when the entire bill came, the remaining couple tried to say they weren't paying for the other couple and they already mentioned that they wanted to pay separate.
    via u/wutangclanthug9mm
  • 21
    We wasn't having none of that and I told them "you're going to pay this entire bill and your friends can owe you what they owe. Doesn't change the fact that your friends left. You're on the hook, a ole. He called me a cat after he paid the entire bill.
    via u/wutangclanthug9mm
  • 22
    Rosequartzsurfboardt OP Exactly like its not your responsibility to make sure the people sitting at the table with YOU that yall never indicated were separate pays their bill. Sounds like they need new friends
    via u/Rosequartzsurfboardt

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workplace-stories meal tales-from-the-workplace work reddit story restaurant entitled customers server life entitled Reddit tales from your server restaurant server entitled people
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