Smiles, Feasts and a £200 Escape: Indian Restaurant in UK Duped by Dine-and-Dash Families

Not every theft happens with masks or weapons. Some of the cleverest robbers today walk into restaurants with smiles on their faces, order lavishly, and then slip away without paying. For family-run eateries, this modern form of theft- known as 'dine-and-dash'- can be devastating. That’s exactly what happened at Sai Surbhi, a well-known Indian restaurant in Greater Manchester, when two families turned an ordinary Saturday night into an unforgettable nightmare.

A Celebration That Ended in Betrayal

On August 30, restaurant owners Raman Kaur and Narinder Singh Athwa received a last-minute booking. The group, consisting of four adults and four children, booked a table just 15 minutes in advance. However, they arrived with double the expected number. They indulged in a spread of curries, sides, and kids’ meals. The atmosphere was cheerful, with nothing to suggest what would follow.

The Escape Plan

As the night drew to a close , the women and children slipped out, leaving two men behind at the table. The men pretended to settle the bill, trying five different cards and making calls for transfers. They insisted they had 'no way of paying' that night but promised to return by Monday. The bill amount was £200 (₹23,000). However, the payment never arrived.

A Heavy Blow to a Small Business

For a large chain, a £200 loss may seem manageable. But for a family-run independent restaurant, it’s a significant hit. 

In a heartfelt Facebook post, the owners explained, "We hate to do this, but it's our only option at this point. Unfortunately, on Saturday night we had a table of 2 families, who, after eating, drinking & enjoying themselve,s tried 5 different cards, calling various people to transfer money paid £0 off a £200 bill!! Now we don't want to start discriminating, as we have families from the same community who come in regularly, and we've never had a problem."

Further, the post read, "These were new visitors, rang up to book, 4 adults + 4 children. Apart from the normal ruckus that infants can cause, wanting to run around, we had no trouble from any of them."

Expressing the effect of this incident on their business, they wrote, "As a local family-run business and an independent, these times are REALLY tough at the moment, and them not paying a 200-pound bill has a HUGE knock on effect for our restaurant, we can't afford this occurrence once, let alone a repeat performance. What can we do? And thank you to a few tables who did see the situation and shared their kind words with us. We hope you understand this was our only option to highlight this incident."

“That 200-pound bill would pay staff, or pay our bills, or for stock," the post concluded.

Community Outrage and Support

The couple’s post quickly went viral, with loyal customers and strangers alike expressing outrage. Many called the act outright 'theft' and urged the owners to share CCTV footage or report the matter to the police. Suggestions also poured in for preventive steps, such as taking deposits or pre-authorizing cards at the time of booking.

Not an Isolated Case

Shockingly, this isn’t the first such case in the UK. Just weeks earlier, Saffron restaurant in Northampton reported a similar experience where four men fled after leaving behind a bill of nearly £197 unpaid. Such incidents point to a growing trend that is leaving independent restaurants vulnerable.