The restaurant owner took the matter into her own hands and tracked down the diners who tried to skip out on their bill through social media, and the next day she collected the money
Two holidaymakers who tried to leg it without paying their restaurant bill were found by a clever Italian restaurant owner who turned to social media to hunt them down. Italian media outlet Cronache Maceratesi reports that Michela Malatini, who runs I Due Re pizzeria in Civitanova Marche, shared CCTV footage of the pair on the restaurant’s Facebook page and successfully identified them thanks to tips from her followers.
She disclosed that the duo, both aged around 30, had wolfed down two pizzas and two beverages each, chalking up a tab of €44 (roughly £38). But when the moment came to cough up, they simply got to their feet and ran: “I saw that the table was empty and waited to make sure they hadn’t gone to the bathroom,” Michela told reporters.
The furious restaurateur grabbed a screenshot of the offenders from the establishment’s security cameras and posted it on the popular pizzeria’s Facebook page, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Michela disclosed that she’d become adept at spotting potential runners due to how frequently it occurs, and had crafted her own distinctive approach to ensuring justice prevailed.
She elaborated: “It happens often. The police? I don’t call them. I always find the customers, I have my own method.
“I had seen them both and knew where they were going,” she added. “I posted a message on Facebook and, thanks to some comments, I was able to find them.”
A few hours after uploading her post, Michela received a response that read: “Found! I’m at the BandB.”
She contacted the BandB’s manager and made her way there, ready to confront the unsuspecting holidaymakers with their outstanding bill the moment they woke up.
“They didn’t even understand what was going on, but they recognised me and took out their wallets,” she said.
“It’s more of a story to smile about. It happens once or twice a week,” Michela added. “I’ve always dealt with it this way; I’ve never called the police.
“Thanks to the cameras, I can find those who run away, contact them and tell them I’ll be waiting for them to settle the bill, showing them the security video. The next day, they all come back,” she explained with a laugh.
She said that it’s the principle of the thing, rather than the loss of the €44. “It’s not so much about the money,” she said.
“It’s a large beach club with 70 employees, and €44 doesn’t make a difference. But if people start thinking that they can come and eat without paying, it becomes a problem.”
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.
#Dine #dash #tourists #receive #karma #dodging #restaurant #bill #bizarre
