On a seemingly regular day in Bugis, a restaurant encountered an unexpected incident. A diner enjoyed a buffet meal at Mr Mookata and left without paying for her S$35 bill, fleeing the premises while the staff was not looking, according to Shin Min Daily News.
Dine and dash
A middle-aged Chinese woman arrived at Mr Mookata alone at around 5 pm. She blended in with the other diners and showed no signs of any financial constraints.
The diner spent a leisurely two hours savoring her meal at the restaurant. During this time, the staff was occupied with attending to other customers, and they didn’t take any special notice of the woman.
At 7 pm, the store manager realized that the diner had already left the restaurant without settling her bill. Reviewing the CCTV footage, it was evident that she had quietly left with her belongings while the staff were too busy to pay attention.
Upon discovering the incident, the store manager decided not to make a police report and chose not to pursue the matter further. Instead, he saw it as an opportunity to remind fellow F&B owners of the risks associated with their line of work.
The manager acknowledged that such incidents, though undesirable, occasionally happen in the F&B industry. He already accounts for such losses in his business operations and prefers not to investigate further, opting to share the experience publicly instead.
Despite having her image captured on the restaurant’s surveillance cameras, the manager refrains from revealing the woman’s identity to protect her from potential harassment online.
Sadly, this was not the first time such an incident occurred since the restaurant’s opening two years ago. Several other diners have also left without paying their bills, including both individual diners and groups.
While the restaurant has faced multiple dine-and-dash situations, the most significant financial loss amounted to more than S$100 when a group of customers walked out without paying, having also ordered alcohol.
The incident at Mr Mookata sheds light on the challenges and realities that F&B owners face regularly. Dealing with dine-and-dash cases is an unfortunate part of the industry, but it highlights the need for vigilance and caution.
Image source: Mr Mookata via Shin Min Daily News.