As you know, dining and dashing, or conveniently forgetting to pay the bill, has always been a problem for restaurants and bars. But one eatery seems to have found a pretty reliable fix for that issue.
Welcome to Rick’s on the River, a bar a restaurant in Tampa, Florida, where diners who don’t pay are exposed for the cheats they are on social media.
As an August 5 post from the restaurant proves, its Facebook page has been turned into a wall of shame of sorts when there is dining and dashing spotted on cameras.
“Obviously, these folks were unaware that if Dine-N-Dash at Rick’s, you get identified via social media.”
Accompanying the post was a clip showing a few diners choosing to skip the bill. One was even carrying a small child in her arms.
Now, before you get the idea that perhaps these two women couldn’t afford to feed the child, you should know that the bill included “a beer and two tequila sunrises.”
The post continued, “These are the latest perps to Eat it and Beat It and ‘forgot’ to pay. Note the quick getaway method of throw your little guy in the backseat and let him buckle up. Got great pics of you, your car and tag. Return and pay your tab!”
Since this particular post was made, the restaurant reported that one of the women caught on camera did come back and pay, claiming to have “forgotten” to do so at the time.
Rick’s owner, Ken Brackins, told Fox & Friends First that they’ve gotten a number of people to come back in and pay their “forgotten” bill using this method. But that’s not necessarily why they do it.
Instead, Brackins explains that it’s really a “deterrent” for such actions.
Sure, Brackins wants the money back. But not the customers or anyone who may try to pull one over on the restaurant.
Plus, as he explained, those “forgetful” customers cannot just send a check or pay over the phone. They are made to “do the walk of shame” and pay in person – further penance for their crimes.
