Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
CENTERVILLE -- The owners of a Centerville restaurant hope the public can help them identify three customers who ate a pricey meal then skipped out on the check.
It's known as a "dine and dash." On the Internet it's a joke; in real life, however, it costs paying customers.
The incident happened Tuesday night at the Iggy's Sports Grill in Centerville.
"We had three guests come in and decide to treat themselves to dinner on us," explained general manager Keith Norton.
Norton said the group ordered three of the more expensive items on the menu. When the time came to pay the $80 bill, they slipped out.
"One went out with the ruse of making a cell phone call. The other one said, ‘I'm going to check on him.' The third was going to pay and finish boxing up the food they didn't eat, but he decided to bolt out of here," Norton said. "It's very frustrating."
Norton said he's noticed a rise in the number of ‘dine and dash' cases, which he attributes to the economy. Often, the cost is passed along to other customers, but Norton would rather see the trio pay.
"They basically stole money, not only out of the server's pocket, but the restaurant's pocket," he said.
Centerville Police say, if caught, the three will face theft of services charges.
The group is described being in their early 20s. The woman has a distinctive tattoo on her upper chest. If you recognize them, call 801-292-8441.
E-mail: sdallof@ksl.com
