THIS is the shocking moment a shameless diner lobs a well done steak at a restaurant boss before allegedly fleeing without paying the £800 bill.
A brazen mob of nine diners are said to have turned up at Tinel Seafood & Grill in Grantham, Lincolnshire, where they tucked into premium seafood and steaks, washed down with booze, and racked up a whopping £758.22 tab.
The owner of the restaurant confronts a man after he stormed the bar and entered the kitchenFacebook, Tinel Seafood & Grill in Grantham
The man picks up a steak he ordered himself before hurling it in the owner’s faceFacebook, Tinel Seafood & Grill in Grantham
TripadvisorA brazen mob turned up at Tinel Seafood & Grill Restaurant, racking up a huge tab before fleeing without paying[/caption]
To add insult to injury, the owner of the restaurant claimed one lout stormed behind the bar, barged into the kitchen and smashed a lobster-cracking kit by hammering it aggressively.
Shocking CCTV footage shows the moment chef and owner, Flávio Serra, confronted one man at the table.
He can be seen standing over the table talking to the diners, before one picks up a well done steak – a cut the thug had specially ordered himself – before hurling it in Serra’s face.
A heated argument then ensues as both men are seen pointing fingers at the other.
Moments before, the man is filmed being handed a lobster cracking kit while he tucks into his meal.
He then proceeds to smash it with force before it splinters into pieces.
The owner said police spoke to the suspects who are said to have brazenly told cops: “I won’t pay, take me to prison.”
The dine-and-dash crooks reportedly ordered the priciest dishes and drinks, then legged it without paying a penny on Friday, June 28.
Since the incident, Serra has had “countless sleepless nights” and has been left feeling “angry, disappointed, and betrayed”.
Flávio Serra, who spent four years building his dream restaurant, said: “This is not just theft, it’s a slap in the face to everything I’ve worked so hard to build over the past four plus years.
“What makes it even more painful is that some of them were previous customers who had dined with us before, always enjoyed the experience, and left glowing reviews.
“This time, they brought along others, some locals, others unknown, and together, they disrespected me, my team, and my business in ways I never imagined.
“I cooked every dish from scratch, making sure every plate left my kitchen with the same high standards we’re known for.
“Despite the last-minute booking, I went above and beyond, as I always do.”
He added: “The police did contact the person who had booked the table, but the response was: ‘I won’t pay, take me to prison’.
“Of course, they were not sent to prison, and if any payment is required, it is never made to us but rather through community service. This means that we are always the ones left at a loss.
The individual who made the reservation left midway through the evening and the situation escalated quickly from there, according to Serra.
He added that the situation had been “both devastating and deeply frustrating”.
“It is clear to us that their intention from the outset was not to pay. They deliberately ordered only the highest-priced items on the menu and consumed excessive amounts of alcohol,” he said.
“The group behaved with extreme rudeness towards our staff, and ultimately events unfolded in an unacceptable and disgraceful manner, as clearly evidenced in the CCTV footage.
“For a respectable establishment to endure such conduct is intolerable. What is equally unacceptable is the absence of protection and meaningful action from the authorities whose duty it is to safeguard honest businesses and their employees.
“Such inaction sends the wrong message and risks encouraging further criminal behaviour, leaving law-abiding citizens and business owners vulnerable and unprotected.”
This is not just theft, it’s a slap in the face to everything I’ve worked so hard to build over the past four plus years.
Flávio Serra
A spokesperson for Lincolnshire Police said: “We received a report on 29 June that a party of around 8 to 10 people left a restaurant in Grantham without a paying a bill which was just over £700. There had been a dispute between the party and the staff prior to the group leaving the premises without paying the bill.
“We have followed a number of lines of enquiry, including circulating images of the people involved, and nobody has been identified from those efforts.
“There are no further evidential opportunities identified at present, but we would urge anyone with information to get in touch, quoting incident 236 of June 29.”
Flavio claimed the restaurant has suffered theft before, when £5,000 of drinks were stolen in a raid.
He said: “It has already happened to us before — we were robbed and had drinks and stock worth more than £5,000 stolen. The thieves were caught, and some of the stolen drinks were recovered, but they were never returned to us.”
In court, since the offenders were unemployed, they were sentenced to community service, leaving the restaurant owner to bear the full financial loss.
“All of this only serves to encourage criminality. Those who work honestly and pay their taxes on time — including the police — are left completely unprotected.”
A comment under Serra’s plea for help on Facebook said: “What absolute pigs! Sorry this has happened to you. Maybe you have to consider changing your policy for walk in groups or premium ordering to take 50% advance payment.
“You shouldn’t have too but with people like this, you need to cover some of your costs. Regular customers will understand.”
While others added words of encouragement and said: “Sorry you’ve had to experience this. We regularly hear great things about your wonderful restaurant. You bring lots of pleasure to many diners.”
Serra also added: “I also know the power of community, and I know you have my back, just like you did during the last incident earlier this year.
The small business owner first fell victim to a dine-and-dash last year for a bill totalling £306 which he was able to recover.
The man also proceeded to smash a lobster cracking kit to piecesFacebook, Tinel Seafood & Grill in Grantham Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
