Adelaide Mexican restaurant Tequila n Tacos at Port Noarlunga publicly shames two diners who allegedly ate tacos and downed tequilas before walking out on $200 bill
An Adelaide restaurant has taken to social media to shame two young customers who they claim indulged in food and alcohol before leaving the restaurant without paying their hefty bill.
Tequila n Tacos in Port Noarlunga in the city’s southeast posted CCTV footage of the two men on Facebook on Friday evening.
“This isn’t the type of post we like to do, but tonight these young men dined at our restaurant and unfortunately after consuming almost $200 worth of alcohol and food, they put on their hoodies and ran out (literally) without paying,” the caption read.
The post was read by the local community and many followers of the restaurant’s page shared the post, while others also commented in support of the hard-working staff.
Restaurant manager Viv Dhir said he chose to post CCTV footage of the men online in the hope they would pay their bill before he called the police.
“We were quite angry about it, losing $200 is like losing a person’s entire day’s wages,” he said The Adelaide Advertiser.
‘The catering industry is currently going through a crisis and people are on their knees, something like this can be the deciding factor for many companies.’
He said the couple ordered food from the Mexican restaurant’s menu, along with tequila shots and, brazenly, the most expensive cocktail the restaurant serves.
Tequila n Tacos shared CCTV footage of two men who they claimed were eating and drinking alcohol at the Mexican restaurant, racking up a $200 bill, before walking out without paying
The popular restaurant in Port Noarlunga in Adelaide’s south-east was launched in 2014
Hospitality establishments across the country are having a hard time after a number of particularly difficult years.
First, lockdowns and capacity restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic have decimated the business of cafes, restaurants and bars.
Then came supply chain disruptions and a spike in inflation. This not only made it more expensive to supply locations, but also reduced the number of customers as they tightened their belts.
Mr Dhir, who opened Tequila n Tacos in 2014 with his wife Jacinta, said that while the business is popular, it hasn’t always been easy and his family was “feeling the pressure”.
“People need to be more considerate and do the right thing. If you don’t have the money, don’t come here to eat.”
He said customers had accidentally walked out without paying before, but this was the first time they had customers deliberately waiting for staff to get busy and going for a run.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr Dhir for further comment.