19 March 2024 , 14:19
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These brazen customers gorged on food and downed whisky and wine at a bistro - before leaving without paying their £78 bill.
The diners spent two hours at Josephine's in Nottingham city centre, during which time they ate half of their Eggs Benedict before complaining. The man and woman ordered different dishes, including chicken dishes and more alcohol.
After their chicken platters, four glasses of wine and four whiskey and cokes, the woman told one of the staff she was going out for a cigarette. Co-owners Jo and Steve Neale weren't on the premises at the time and were told about the incident by a staff member. Jo said: "The woman then ran. We had other customers coming in and the man then ran past them and ran out. A staff member ran outside but it was too late they were gone.
"This has hit us hard as the bill was was high and as an independent it affects us terribly. Please don't do this, we all have to make a living and this is just wrong.
"We have the best team ever, they are all the hardest working, most polite girls I've ever employed and they go above and beyond for Steve and I. It breaks my heart that the girls working today had to go through that. It wasn't their fault and we would never blame them for the disgraceful way some people conduct themselves.
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"We have fabulous customers who treat the girls great but when something like this happens it just disheartens you especially with hospitality venues having to work so hard as it is."
The elegant tea room and bistro, in the centre of Nottingham, serves afternoon tea and early evening meals for theatre-goers. In the past, it has welcomed actors from the Theatre Royal opposite as customers.
In a warning to other café and restaurants, Jo said she felt it was a couple in their 30s. The man had a ginger beard and the woman had her hair in a bun, reports Nottinghamshire Live.
In a similar incident in January, a group of four women and eight kids were accused of gorging on £400 worth of food and drink at an Italian restaurant before walking out without paying.
La Bella Vista in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex shared images on Facebook of the shameless diners in a bid to trace them and warn other small businesses of their behaviour. They dined on a variety of starters, roast beef, which the restaurant serves as a Sunday special, and a selection of pasta before getting up and walking out of the premises. A bill provided to the Mirror by the restaurant shows £425.38 outstanding.