Moment ‘dine-and-dash couple who ordered £195 meal flee without paying while going for vape’

The owner of a restaurant has criticized a couple on social media who left without paying for their £195 meal.

Julien Jourdain, owner of the Bistro on the Quay in Ipswich, claimed the couple ordered a bottle of wine, two starters and two main courses on April Fool’s Day.

He claimed they ordered two ribs, escargot, scallops, three doubles of vodka and coke, as well as a bottle of St Emilion Grand Crue red wine, which sold for £49.

CCTV footage shows the pair entering the restaurant, then standing outside and smoking e-cigarettes before leaving.

Mr Jourdain lashed out at the pair online, accusing them of pretending to smoke outside before leaving without paying, in what he described as a “calculated act”.

He explained in the post that his business was ‘working incredibly hard to stay afloat’ and branded the couple ‘low-living’ for their alleged actions.

The restaurateur explained to the Daily Mail that he immediately went to the bistro when he was informed about the alleged incident by the supervisor on duty.

‘He told me he knew something was wrong between them,’ she said. ‘So he kept going out to check on them because they were vaping so much.’

The 44-year-old man claimed he told the waiter his money was in his car when he confronted him.

Restaurateur Julien Jourdain claims one of his waiters confronted the man who said he was going to take money from his car

The restaurant owner said he contacted police following the alleged incident but was not prioritized due to the large number of calls.

Mrs. Jourdain also tried to call the couple that night, but to no avail.

‘As soon as I was told, I jumped in my car and went looking for her,’ he said, adding: ‘I’m a lover, not a warrior.’

The restaurant boss said that while the effects of alleged situations like this could spell disaster for small businesses, he explained that this was not an isolated incident.

At the end of last year, the Bistro on the Quay was the subject of two break-ins, with a number of eating and running away incidents in the past 12 months.

‘We don’t get paid until the meal is finished because it’s always been that way,’ he said. ‘We’re not that kind of restaurant.’

But the restaurateur, originally from Calais, has now been forced to introduce new rules after witnessing a sharp rise in anti-social behavior in the fine dining industry.

“I firmly believe in trusting people, but we have since had to implement new rules,” he added, adding that those dining on the terrace will now have to pay before eating.

‘I spoke to my team yesterday and told them that if they see anything really suspicious, to call me immediately and leave it to me,’ he said.

‘Because at the end of the day, they don’t get paid enough to go after people,’ he added. ‘This is not in their job description.

The restaurant boss (pictured) said the effects of alleged situations like this could spell disaster for small businesses, explaining it was not an isolated incident.

At the end of last year, the Bistro on the Quay (pictured) was hit by two break-ins, with several incidents of eating and running away in the last 12 months.

‘This has a negative impact on the mental health of both you and the staff. And of course it also has a financial impact.

‘But we’re also pretty resilient. ‘We know the only thing we can do is keep going.’

With costs rising in the hospitality industry, Mr Jourdain argued it was important for the community to ‘inform each other’.

‘I can clearly say that every penny counts right now, especially in our industry,’ he said.

Despite the impact of the alleged incident, the ‘loyal’ support from the community has warmed the restaurateur’s heart.

‘We have a very good loyalty community base, customer base,’ he said. ‘These are very difficult times. That’s why we need to stick together.’

The Daily Mail has contacted Suffolk police for comment.