An Adelaide restaurant has taken to social media to shame two young diners, claiming they gorged themselves on food and drink before leaving without paying their hefty bill.
Tequila n Tacos in Port Noarlunga in the city’s southeast posted surveillance images of the two men on Facebook on Friday evening.
“This is not the kind of post we like to make, but tonight these young men ate at our restaurant and unfortunately, after consuming almost $200 worth of alcohol and food, they put on their hoodies and ran away (literally) without paying ,” the caption read.
The post was read by the local community and many followers of the restaurant’s page shared the post. Others also responded in support of the hardworking staff.
Restaurant manager Viv Dhir said he chose to share CCTV footage of the men online in the hope they would settle their bill before resorting to calling the police.
“We were quite angry about it, losing $200 is like losing a person’s entire day’s wages,” he said The Adelaide Advertiser.
‘The hospitality industry is currently in crisis and people are on their knees en masse. Something like that could mean the end for many companies.’
He said the pair had ordered food from the Mexican restaurant’s menu, along with tequila shots and, shamelessly, the most expensive cocktail the venue has to offer.
Tequila n Tacos shared CCTV footage of two men who they claimed were eating and drinking alcohol at the Mexican restaurant, racking up a $200 bill, before walking out without paying
The popular restaurant in Port Noarlunga in Adelaide’s south-east was launched in 2014
Hospitality establishments across the country are having a hard time after a number of particularly difficult years.
First, lockdowns and capacity restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic have decimated the business community of cafes, restaurants and bars.
This was then followed by supply chain disruptions and a spike in inflation that has not only made it more expensive to stock stocks but also led to a decline in customers as they tighten their belts.
Mr Dhir, who opened Tequila n Tacos in 2014 with his wife Jacinta, said that while the business is popular, it hasn’t always been easy and his family was “feeling the pressure”.
‘People should be more considerate of each other and do the right thing. If you don’t have the money, don’t come and eat here.’
He said customers had accidentally left without paying before, but this was the first time they had customers deliberately waiting for staff to get busy and doing a run.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr Dhir for further comment.
