30-year-old cuts off entitled couple for charging all their friends $350 per person under the guise of a free meal: 'They profited around $5000 [...] off of their closest friends'

Author image for Ben Weiss
Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Apr 18, 2025 4:00 PM EDT

Nothing can tear a friend group apart quite like money can. When friend groups gather together for meals, birthdays, and trips, it's important that everything is out on the table before dollars are spent. Unless you are intimately aware of one another's bank account, it's best not to make any assumptions about what people can or cannot spend. That level of transparency is key unless your goal the entire time was for the entire friendship dynamic to fall apart. 

Of course, there are several friend groups that after years and years have embraced a system of unspoken rules. Perhaps someone pays for one meal, and the other person pays for the next one. Of course, not everything needs to be fairly and equally distributed, as long as everyone is comfortable with that. For instance, if one person orders two drinks and everyone else orders one, there shouldn't be a need to freak out when the bill comes provided that everyone is ok with splitting the check evenly regardless of what everyone ordered. However, there are always limits to these kinds of rules. 

In this instance, one couple tested those limits and experienced the subsequent fallout.

Advertisement
  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10494816768
    via Unsplash+ (Lia Bekyan)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 02

    "AITA for being annoyed that my friends charged everyone full price at their 'birthday party' at their own restaurant?"

    So recently, I (30F) attended a birthday party for a friend. The couple hosting it (let's call them Megan & Dave) own a popular restaurant in town, and they invited about 40 people to celebrate Megan's birthday there.
    via Quick_Aioli6466
  • 03
    They closed the restaurant for the night just for the event, so it was a private party with only their invited guests.
    via Quick_Aioli6466

  • This couple owned a restaurant and invited everyone over for a birthday celebration. They closed down the establishment so the whole space was reserved for their friend group, and everyone was told they could order whatever they wanted. What this couple failed to mention was that everyone would still be getting individual checks for “whatever they wanted.” That total lack of transparency and generosity spoke volumes about how they felt about these friendships, especially since they were the ones who were better off than everyone else.

  • 04
    At the beginning of the night, Dave made a birthday toast and said something along the lines of, "Thank you all for being here to celebrate Megan — order whatever you want!" So everyone
    via Quick_Aioli6466
  • 05
    kind of assumed it was being hosted, or at the very least subsidized. Nobody expected a free night necessarily, but the vibe was definitely "you're invited to celebrate with us," not "this is a group dinner and you're footing your own bill."
    via Quick_Aioli6466
  • 06
    Well... fast forward to the end of the night, servers started bringing around individual cheques. Turns out everyone was charged full price — food, drinks, everything. Most couples ended up paying around $350 for the night, some more, some less.
    via Quick_Aioli6466
  • 07
    People were really thrown off. The way it was presented made it seem like we were guests at a party, not customers at a business. Megan & Dave are not hurting financially — they just built a brand new home, drive luxury cars and take vacations.
    via Quick_Aioli6466
  • 08
    From what we can tell, they profited around $5,000 from the night - off of their closest friends. Since then, a lot of us have been keeping our distance.
    via Quick_Aioli6466
  • 09
    It just felt super icky, like we were tricked into attending what was actually a cash-grab dinner disguised as a party.
    via Quick_Aioli6466
  • 10
    Now Megan is confused why people are being distant, and I'm starting to wonder - AITA for being annoyed and not really wanting to hang out with them anymore?
    via Quick_Aioli6466
  • 11
    Cheezburger Image 10494817024
    via Unsplash+ (Lia Bekyan)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 12
    M... • 4h ago . Edited 4h ago LOL.. So they basically scammed you all into paying for their birthday party and even made a profit from the con? Those con artists aren't anybodys friends
    via Quick_Aioli6466
  • 13
    You all will be complete AH'S and idiots if you keep them in your circle of friends after they literally stole a whole dinner bill plus 5K from you
    via Quick_Aioli6466
  • 14
    S... 4h ago Edited 23m ago NTA! If you invite someone to a party, the understanding is that the host pays! They tricked you and ambushed you.
    via Quick_Aioli6466
  • 15
    I would end the friendship over this. Edited to add: send them a printout of this post, with all the responses!
    via Quick_Aioli6466
  • 16
    judgingA- 4h ago NTA - I would assume that someone who owns a restaurant, is having their bday at their own restaurant,
    via Quick_Aioli6466
  • 17
    and who says "order whatever you want" would be paying for it. I mean if not, then why announce to order whatever you want?
    via Quick_Aioli6466
  • 18
    No sh sherlock I can order whatever I want if I'm paying for it, like in saying that. was the point
    via Quick_Aioli6466
  • 19
    ElowenThornevale • 4h ago Nah you're not wrong. If you're making bank and inviting friends to your birthday at your restaurant, at least comp something. Charging full price is wild.
    via Quick_Aioli6466
  • 20
    Grumpy_Lurker • 4h ago NTA. They invited you to a birthday party and profited off the event. I wouldn't want to socialize with them, either.
    via Quick_Aioli6466

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

aita AITAH friends restaurant entitled friend group karen entitled people
Scroll Down For The Next Article