Aegean Breeze Seafood and Steak House in Worcester has accused a group of six diners of leaving without paying a £400 bill, an incident the restaurant described as a deliberate 'dine and dash'. The alleged walkout occurred around 5pm on Saturday, June 27, at the Friary Walk establishment.
Details of the incident
According to Paul Faulkner, the restaurant's operations director, the group became 'quite hostile at the till' after complaining that the lobster in a shellfish platter tasted 'earthy'. Staff offered to deduct the cost of the platter from the bill, but the group declined and allegedly left without payment. Faulkner told the BBC that the restaurant had never experienced a walkout since opening nearly a year ago.
The restaurant shared CCTV stills of the alleged group on social media, stating the six diners 'deliberately left without paying for their food and drinks'. The post also apologised to other customers who witnessed the scene, calling it 'upsetting' and reassuring them that the incident was not related to food or service quality.
Police involvement
West Mercia Police confirmed they were called to the scene. A spokesperson said: 'We received a call around 17:15 BST on Saturday with a report of people making off without payment from a restaurant on Friary Walk in Worcester. An investigation is ongoing.'
Restaurant's response
Faulkner added that the individuals are no longer welcome at the restaurant, and the matter has been reported to the police. The restaurant, known for steaks, seafood, and pizza, has been operating in the city centre for almost a year without prior incidents of this nature.
