A Disturbing Trend of Dine and Dash Incidents
A recent incident at a community riverside café in Caergwrle, North Wales, has left the local business owners and staff shaken. A group of individuals, including three women, two men, and a young child, reportedly feasted on nearly £100 worth of food and drinks before fleeing without paying. This event highlights an ongoing issue that is causing distress among small business owners across the country.
The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon at Honey’s Bakery & Café, a family-run establishment. The group ordered a significant amount of food, including six full English breakfasts, seven cokes, one brownie, two chocolate fudge cakes, and a cookie. When the bill came to £93.80, the group refused to pay and sprinted out of the café, leaving behind their meal and the stunned customers and staff.
Staff members described the scene as horrifying. Annie Bailey, a 21-year-old employee who had been serving the family, said she was shocked by the group’s actions. “We were just shocked that people would actually act like that,” she said. “All the customers in the cafe were watching on horrified.”
Coleen Tou, the owner of the café who took over the business in 2019, expressed her frustration. She mentioned that one of the women in the group had previously visited the café, which means they were aware that the business does not take payment upfront. “They were very skilled, they know what they’re doing,” she said. “I’m just glad the staff didn’t get hurt or anything.”
This incident is part of a growing trend of dine and dashers in Britain, where groups of individuals take advantage of small businesses by consuming large amounts of food and drinks and then leaving without paying. According to Ms. Tou, such incidents are becoming more frequent, and she has encountered similar situations while running her business.
Ms. Bailey described how the group initially appeared to be travelers when they first arrived. “We believed them to be travellers when they first came in but had no issues as we serve everybody equally,” she explained. However, the group quickly made their move, ordering a vast amount of food and then rushing out of the café.
The impact on the staff was significant. Ms. Bailey, who has worked at the café for four years, said the team was in complete shock. “We were just all in complete shock and just really upset and frustrated, really,” she added. The group left so quickly that the staff couldn’t catch up with them, even after chasing them through the car park.
In response to the incident, Honey’s Bakery & Café posted on Instagram, warning others about the potential risk. They wrote: “This afternoon at Honeys we experienced a dine-and-dash incident. A group of family with Irish accents came in, ordered a large amount of food, and left without paying.” They advised others to take payment before serving if they encounter a similar group and to report any suspicious behavior to the authorities.
North Wales Police confirmed the incident, stating that a group eating at the restaurant in Caergwrle left without making a payment of approximately £100. They asked anyone with information about the incident to contact them using the reference number C124476.
This incident is just one example of the increasing prevalence of dine and dashers in the UK. Just last week, another incident occurred at an Indian restaurant in Northampton, where four individuals fled after feasting on almost £200 worth of food. Days earlier, a family of 10 was accused of barging their way out of a pub after refusing to pay a £320 food bill.
These events have left many business owners feeling vulnerable and stressed. Kelly Jollife, the landlady of the Greyhound Inn in Usk, Wales, described how a large group consumed their meals but refused to pay for anything other than their drinks. Such incidents are not only financially damaging but also emotionally taxing for those involved.
As these incidents continue to rise, it is crucial for businesses to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions to protect themselves from such occurrences.
