Three men who slipped out of a side door at Beer & Bird in St Ives after enjoying drinks, burgers and a plate of wings on Friday evening have now paid their bill in full. The trio left without settling the £68 tab, and manager Hannah Hunt gave chase but was too late.
After posting online and with help from the local community, the diners were identified and contacted. They were so ashamed that they handed over £100, which is £32 more than they owed. Beer & Bird will donate the bill to the RNLI lifeboat.
Hannah said the incident highlights the difficulties faced by small, independent businesses in the hospitality industry and the strength of community spirit in St Ives.
"I put a post online to give them a chance to pay up because I didn't want this to happen to another restaurant anywhere else, but also because we are a independent, family-run business.
"I didn't want them to feel they could get away with it. I just wanted them to pay their bill. The bill might not seem like a lot of money but it is for small businesses.
"I've worked here for two years and I've never had it happen before."
Hannah gave the culprits a chance to get in touch and pay for what they had eaten. With the help of local people she managed to identify them and subsequently spoke to them over the phone.
Comments left on her Facebook post were overwhelmingly supportive but some said the business should start taking payment before serving food.
"St Ives is a lovely small community," says Hannah. "We want to provide a service, we are proud to do so and taking payment beforehand just because some people are untrustworthy would leave a sour taste. We won't be changing."
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Fleeing Diners Shamed Into Paying St Ives Restaurant Bill