Dine-and-dash, the act of leaving a restaurant without settling the bill, is a practice that affects the livelihood of restaurant owners and staff.
For Warung Ijo, a new Indonesian eatery in MacPherson, dealing with such incidents has become a recurring challenge.
The Unfortunate Incident
On December 2, Warung Ijo’s Facebook page shared a (now-deleted) post containing a photo of diners who departed without settling their bill, amounting to $61.90.
The incident underscores the ongoing struggle that small businesses face in ensuring they receive fair compensation for their services.
Repeat Offenses
According to Shin Min Daily News, this was not an isolated occurrence for Warung Ijo. The report highlighted that it was the fifth time the eatery experienced a dine-and-dash incident since its opening in August. The unpaid bills varied between $20 and $70, accumulating to a total of approximately $300.
The manager of Warung Ijo, surnamed Huang, expressed frustration over the situation. While the eatery owner covered the first unpaid bill, subsequent incidents meant that the staff had to bear the financial burden collectively.
The unpaid bills have become a significant concern, with Huang stating that the amounts that they have to cover for the customers who fled are “not a small amount”.
Financial Toll on the Business
The cumulative effect of multiple dine-and-dash incidents takes a toll on the financial stability of Warung Ijo. Small and new establishments often operate on thin profit margins, and absorbing repeated losses of this nature becomes unsustainable.
Warung Ijo initially collected payment upon ordering but changed its practice to collect payment after the meal. The adjustment was made in response to customer feedback, as diners found it inconvenient to make additional orders after payment.
Unfortunately, this change in payment policy has left the eatery vulnerable to dine-and-dash situations.
Update
In subsequent Facebook updates, Warung Ijo has since stated that the case is now closed as the customer has reached out to them and made the payment that they owed.