September 3rd 2024.
We've all heard the phrase "customers are always right," but what happens when customers take advantage of that? This was the case for Neil Kimber, the owner of La Banca, a traditional Italian restaurant in Selsey, West Sussex. On a busy Sunday night, a group of four adults and six children came to dine at his restaurant. They enjoyed steaks and carbonara, leaving not a single bite on their plates. However, when it came time to pay the bill, things took a turn for the worse.
The group refused to pay the full £390 bill, claiming that the food was "awful." To make matters worse, they only left £60 for the alcohol they had consumed. Neil was shocked and disappointed by this group's behavior, but he initially decided not to report the incident to the police. He had heard of similar incidents happening before, with little to no action being taken. However, after his social media post about the group went viral, he decided to release the CCTV footage and report the incident to the police.
It turns out, this type of behavior is becoming more and more common, not only in Selsey but across the country. Neil's restaurant is just one of many that has fallen victim to this trend. The group had even made a reservation for eight people but showed up with ten. This, combined with their refusal to pay the full bill, left a bitter taste in Neil's mouth.
In the past few months, there have been several high-profile dine and dash cases, with one couple even being jailed for dashing over £1,000 worth of food from five different restaurants. It's incidents like these that have led Neil to take action and urge others to support small, local businesses. He believes that this trend of dine and dashing could ultimately ruin these establishments, and he's not wrong.
Neil's message is clear to the group and others like them – this behavior will not be tolerated. It not only affects the business financially but also has a significant impact on the staff who work hard to provide a good experience for their customers. Neil is determined to stand up against these "awful people" and has released pictures of the group and their vehicle in hopes of cracking down on this growing problem.
In an interview with MailOnline, Neil expressed his frustration with the situation, stating that dine and dashing is becoming more and more common in his small town. He believes that it's people like this group who will bring down small businesses like his. He also worries that incidents like this could potentially cripple other restaurants, especially in smaller towns like Selsey.
Neil's plea is simple – support local and smaller businesses before it's too late. The dine and dash craze is a serious issue that could have severe consequences for these establishments. Neil doesn't want to have to charge customers upfront, but with the frequency of these incidents, it may become a necessary measure to protect his business. He hopes that by sharing his story and the CCTV footage, he can bring awareness to this problem and prevent it from happening to others. After all, as the saying goes, "a little kindness goes a long way."
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
