A family-run restaurant is pleading for a group of diners to come back and settle a £60 bill after claiming they did a runner. The eatery says the group left when its staff were distracted.
The family of four were seen on CCTV sneaking out of an Italian restaurant while staff prepared their desserts. An unknown man and woman were seen chowing down on the meal with two children.
They were later caught on CCTV making an escape from Vito's in Sheffield. Chef Vito Ciaraolo, 59, who has owned the classic Italian restaurant for 32 years, said it was “frustrating”.
And he said the couple had set a particularly bad example to the children, who had fled with the woman moments before the man headed out the door behind them. He said: “It’s very frustrating.
"You can imagine what I would do if I would have caught them. But there was nothing I could do.
“The waitress made an order in the kitchen. She said they'd ordered three desserts but the kids and the woman had left, and it was just the man in the restaurant.
“I said to the waitress 'Go upstairs. I think they are going to do a runner.'
"I realised they were up to something. But by the time she went upstairs, one minute later, they had left.”
The family arrived at Vito’s restaurant at 6pm on Sunday (April 23) and ordered olives. They then ordered three pizzas and an aubergine dish as main courses, a fruit juice and three soft drinks, racking up a bill of £60.95.
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But when they finished their mains, CCTV footage shows the woman - dressed in black - standing up from her seat and leading the children from the table. The man, in a blue t shirt, then orders desserts before making a dash while the waitress is distracted.
Vito said the staff didn't know the family, who had chosen to sit at a table close to the door before they began to make their orders. He said: “They just walked in. They were new to us, and the staff said they had never seen them before.
"They were looking around to see if there were any cameras. But they didn’t see one of the cameras, which is very high up.
“They started with some appetizers, some olives, and then they had three pizzas and a Melanzane Parmigiana, they also had some soft drinks.”
Vito said he was shocked when he found out that the couple had legged it from his premises without settling their bill. But he now believes from the way they acted that they may have tried the same trick at other restaurants before.
He added: “I think they’ve gone out to have food before and have done the exact same thing which they have done to me. That’s the impression I have got.
“If someone comes to the restaurant and says they haven’t got any money, I can give you something to eat. It’s not a problem.
"That’s the kind of person I am. I try to help everybody.”
Vito said he's since had an outpouring of support from his regulars, adding if the family coughed up the money for their bill he would donate it to a good cause. He said: “Everybody is disappointed about what happened. But they are very supportive. I have a lot of lovely customers.
“I have been here for 32 years and this is only the second time it’s happened. But If that guy gives it back, I will give that money to charity.”
Vito has not yet reported the matter to the police.
