Missouri restaurant gets even with ‘dine-and-dasher’ who tried paying for burger, sides with $1,000 bill
A Missouri restaurant found a clever way to get back at a customer who tried to scam them with a fake bill — by putting his face on social media.
Michael’s Bar and Grill in Manchester, about 20 miles outside St. Louis, shared a photo of the man on Facebook after realizing the costly mistake their server had made on Sunday.
The customer ordered a burger and multiple sides before attempting to pay his $40 bill with what the server thought was a $100 note, First Alert 4 reported. But when the server went to get his change, she realized the bill was fake — a novelty $1,000 note.
By the time she returned, the man had already left with a to-go bag of food, driving off in his Lexus. The so-called bill was actually “ancestor money,” a symbolic currency used in Chinese rituals to ensure ancestors have the means to enjoy material possessions in the afterlife.
After the restaurant posted his picture online, the man apparently felt the shame. He returned the next day, paid his bill, apologized, and even left a tip for the staff.
Employees said dine-and-dashing has been on the rise in recent months.
“Unfortunately, it’s happened quite a few times lately,” server Kristina Moriarty told the outlet. “We have cameras everywhere, license plate readers, and facial recognition because these things keep happening to small businesses around here.”
To combat the problem, Michael’s has started posting photos of dine-and-dashers on its “virtual wall of shame.”
“Here’s the thing: if you do this, we are going to expose you and make it known. That way we can help prevent it from happening again,” bartender Dawn Lamb said.
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