A party of seven allegedly walked out of an Orlando restaurant after enjoying a pricey meal and leaving the bill unpaid.
Surveillance video reportedly shows the group eating a $300 spread at @ The Diner on Sunday before leaving the Florida restaurant without settling the tab.
The Orlando eatery is now asking for help identifying the alleged dine-and-dash group, who are said to have disappeared during the restaurant’s busiest shift of the day.
In a post on Instagram, the restaurant said the family ordered several dishes and appeared to take their time over the meal before allegedly leaving in what staff described as a staged, premeditated exit.
@ The Diner, which posted footage of the incident online, claimed employees did not realize the group had gone until after they had already left, forcing servers to piece together how the unpaid bill had slipped through.
In the video, a man wearing a white vest appears to begin the group’s departure, passing car keys to a woman in the party as she leaves the restaurant and later pulls up outside in what is described as the getaway car.
Shortly afterward, the man is seen following quickly behind with a young boy at his side.
The footage then shows the remaining diners still seated at the table, continuing to eat from the large spread, before another woman and a young girl also head toward the exit.
A family of seven were apparently caught on surveillance footage eating $300 worth of food before leaving without paying at @ The Diner in Orlando, Florida, on Sunday
The restaurant alleged that the family of seven had piled the table high with food before slowly vanishing from the establishment one by one
The majority of the family up and left, leaving one woman at the table, which the restaurant claimed was intended to cover their tracks
The restaurant alleges that one woman remained behind at the table in an apparent attempt to make it seem as though she intended to pay the bill.
After the rest of the group had reached the waiting vehicle, video shows her sitting at the table for a moment, staring pensively, before she too stood up and hurried out, breaking into a sprint as she reached the door.
Strangely, no waiter appeared to notice any suspicious behavior, as staff continued clearing tables seemingly unaware of what was happening.
The restaurant issued a warning to other local establishments in the post, urging them to remain vigilant and watch out for similar situations.
‘Orlando beware!’ reads the caption on the video, accompanied by red exclamation marks.
It appears the restaurant has been unable to catch a break, as the post also notes that this was not the first time they had encountered such behavior, although seeing children involved was something they had never experienced before.
The post has since gone viral, attracting thousands of reactions, with many people expressing sympathy for the restaurant and calling for the family to be identified and held accountable.
Others suggested that the incident should be reported to police if it had not already been.
After waiting a couple moments, one of the family headed out to greet the rest of the group, who had already fled
The restaurant revealed on social media that this wasn’t the first time the business had been targeted by theft operating in the same way
‘This is stealing, plain and simple,’ one user commented. ‘If you can’t afford to eat out, don’t.’
Another added, ‘Imagine teaching your kids that this is acceptable behavior.’
Some social media users also questioned whether the family had intended to pay before leaving, or whether there could have been a misunderstanding leading up to their apparent dine-and-dash ordeal.
However, the original poster insisted the departure was deliberate and claimed surveillance footage supported their conclusion.
Other comments also urged restaurants to charge up front to avoid any chance of theft recurring.
Dine-and-dash incidents can have a significant financial impact on restaurants, particularly independently owned businesses operating on narrow profit margins.
In some cases, servers fear they will be blamed for unpaid tabs, although labor laws in many jurisdictions restrict employers from deducting such losses from employee wages.
It is unclear whether the company has filed a police report.
The Daily Mail reached out to the restaurant for comment.
