Staff at an inner-Melbourne cafe say they were stunned when two members of an alleged dine-and-dash group returned to the venue looking for a lost phone — only to leave again without settling the same unpaid bill.
The Bellair Street cafe has now put up warning flyers for nearby businesses, featuring images of a young man and woman in tracksuits who are accused of walking out without paying after dining there on August 24.
‘Four customers ate and drank at our cafe and refused to pay,’ the flyer states.
‘They may have done the same at other local businesses. We’re sharing these photos to warn nearby businesses and customers.’
A cafe worker told News.com.au the group of four had taken a table outside and ordered generously, eating what staff described as an extravagant meal.
Between them, the diners allegedly ordered five meals, pushing the total bill to more than $150.
The worker also claimed one customer behaved rudely throughout the visit, repeatedly calling out ‘oi, oi’ to get staff members’ attention.
She said the poor manners might have been forgotten if the group had not allegedly fled before paying for their food and drinks.
One woman (pictured wearing grey) from a group of four who allegedly walked out on a $150 cafe bill returned to the venue to demand her lost phone
A worker from the cafe chased after the woman and man who was with her (above) as they walked out a second time, still allegedly without paying
‘We brought them their food and the next thing we knew, we looked up and they’d gone. We were like, ”Oh God”, because it was more than $150,’ the worker said.
The group had been in such a rush that one had left their phone behind.
The cafe workers quickly seized it and hid it behind the counter in the hope the group would have to return and pay for their meals.
One of the four called the cafe a short time later to ask about the device, and the worker said they could have it back, but only once they settled their bill.
CCTV from inside the cafe showed two of the group returned to the venue as staff were preparing to close up about 3.30pm.
The man sat outside the cafe while a woman went inside and asked to have her phone back.
A standoff then unfolded when the woman claimed she couldn’t pay without her phone.
‘You can’t hold my phone like that,’ she scolded the staff member.
Workers tried to withhold the woman’s (above) phone until she paid but she snatched it from behind the register
Workers have posted flyers of the group (above) to warn other businesses
‘Can I get my phone? I don’t have nothing (to pay with) on me.’
The pair continued to argue before the man walked inside, seemingly giving the woman confidence.
When staff looked away for a moment, she reached back behind the counter and took the phone from next to the till, then made a beeline for the door.
One female worker immediately followed and grabbed onto the man’s arm while saying, ‘Hello ma’am, you forgot to pay.’
Another worker filmed them using her own phone.
The cafe worker said she probably shouldn’t have chased after them but was acting on the spur of the moment.
‘I thought, I have a responsibility to get the money, I didn’t think too much, but it was quite a lot of money and I would have felt terrible if I didn’t do anything,’ she said.
‘Thinking back, grabbing him probably was not very smart, not the smartest thing. Because you don’t know if they’re carrying something and could hurt you.’
The man managed to pull his arm free and the pair fled the cafe, again.
The bill remains unpaid.
The staff member, who’s spent more than three years at the venue, said she’d never seen such a brazen alleged robbery and believed it was ‘planned’.
Our News Outlet has contacted Victoria Police for comment.
