The owner of a popular Ipswich restaurant has taken to social media to criticize a couple he accuses of dining and dashing on a £195 bill.
Julien Jourdain, who runs Bistro on the Quay, claimed the couple dined at his establishment on April Fools’ Day, enjoying a meal that included a bottle of wine, two starters, and two main courses.
According to Jourdain, their order consisted of two rib-eye steaks, snails, scallops, three double vodka and Cokes, and a bottle of St Emilion Grand Cru, a distinguished red wine priced at £49.
Security footage from the restaurant purportedly shows the couple entering the venue before stepping outside under the pretense of vaping, then leaving without settling their bill.
Jourdain expressed his frustration online, accusing the couple of executing a ‘calculated act’ by pretending to vape before walking away without paying.
Highlighting the challenges his business faces, Jourdain condemned the couple’s alleged behavior, describing them as ‘low-lives’ for their actions.
The restaurateur revealed to the Daily Mail that he immediately went to the bistro when he was informed about the alleged incident by the supervisor on duty.
‘He told me that he knew something was off with them,’ he said. ‘This is why he kept going outside to check on them because they were vaping a lot.’
When confronted, the man told a waiter that his money was in his car, the 44-year-old claimed.
The couple are alleged to have racked up a £195 bill at Bistro On The Quay in Ipswich before leaving, the owner has claimed
Restaurateur Julien Jourdain alleged one of his waiters confronted the man who said he was going to get money from his car
The restaurateur said he contacted the police following the alleged incident, but was not prioritised due to an influx of calls.
Ms Jourdain also tried to search for the pair that night to no avail.
‘As soon as I got told, I jumped in my car, and I went looking for him,’ he said, before adding: ‘I’m a lover, I’m not a fighter.’
The restaurant boss said the impacts of alleged situations like these can spell disaster for small businesses, as he revealed it wasn’t a standalone incident.
At the end of last year, Bistro on the Quay was subject to two break-ins with several alleged dine-and-dash incidents in the last 12 months.
‘We do not take payments before the meal is finished because that’s just the way we have always operated,’ he said. ‘We’re not that kind of restaurant.’
However, the restaurateur who is originally from Calais has now had to introduce new rules after witnessing a sharp rise in anti-social behaviour in the fine dining industry.
‘I’m a firm believer in trusting people, but we had to implement new rules since then,’ he added that those dining on the terrace will now have to pay before eating.
‘I had a chat with my team yesterday, and told them that if they see that something’s really a bit fishy, to call me straight away and to let me handle it,’ he said.
‘Because at the end of the day, they’re not getting paid enough to run after people,’ he added. ‘It’s not in their job description.
The restaurant boss (pictured) said the impacts of alleged situations like these can spell disaster for small businesses, as he revealed it wasn’t a standalone incident
At the end of last year, Bistro on the Quay (pictured) was subject to two break-ins with several alleged dine-and-dash incidents in the last 12 months
‘It has a negative impact on your mental well-being as well as the staff. And also, obviously, has an impact financially.
‘But at the same time, we are pretty resilient. We know that the only thing that we can do is carry on.’
And amid growing costs in the hospitality industry, Mr Jourdain maintained it was important that the community ‘keeps each other informed’.
‘I would say clearly that every penny counts at the moment, especially in our industry,’ he said.
And despite the impact of the alleged incident, the restaurateur’s heart was warmed by the ‘loyal’ support of the community.
‘We do have a very good loyalty community base, customer base,’ he said. ‘It’s very difficult times. So we need to stick together.’
The Daily Mail has approached Suffolk police for comment.
