An Orlando restaurant is searching for a family of seven after surveillance footage allegedly captured the group enjoying a $300 feast before slipping out without paying during one of the busiest shifts of the week.
The incident unfolded Sunday at @ The Diner, where the group reportedly ordered several dishes, piled the table high with food and appeared to enjoy a relaxed meal before leaving the restaurant in stages.
The business later shared security footage on Instagram and claimed the coordinated departure appeared to have been planned in advance.
According to the restaurant, employees did not realize the family had allegedly skipped out on the bill until everyone had already left, leaving staff members scrambling to piece together what happened.
The video appears to show a man wearing a white tank top beginning the group’s exit. He hands a woman a set of car keys, and she leaves the restaurant before pulling a vehicle up outside.
Moments later, the man follows her out with a young boy.
The remaining family members continue eating at the table for a time before another woman and a young girl head toward the exit.
Eventually, nearly everyone is gone except for one woman, who remains seated by herself. The restaurant claimed she may have stayed behind to make employees believe someone was still planning to pay the bill.
Footage shows the woman sitting alone and looking around before suddenly standing up and heading for the door. As she reaches the exit, she appears to break into a run and join the rest of the group in the waiting vehicle.
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Staff members can be seen clearing nearby tables without appearing to notice anything unusual as the alleged dine-and-dash unfolded.
“Orlando beware!” the restaurant wrote alongside the video, adding red exclamation marks as it warned other local businesses to remain alert.
The restaurant also claimed this was not the first time it had been targeted by customers who allegedly left without paying. However, the business said it had never before seen children involved in such an incident.
The post quickly went viral and attracted thousands of reactions from people calling for the family to be identified and held responsible.
“This is stealing, plain and simple,” one person wrote. “If you can’t afford to eat out, don’t.”
Another commenter added, “Imagine teaching your kids that this is acceptable behavior.”
Several people urged the restaurant to contact police, while others suggested businesses require customers to pay before receiving their food to reduce the risk of similar incidents.
Some social media users questioned whether there could have been a misunderstanding or whether members of the group believed someone else had paid the bill. However, the restaurant insisted the departure was intentional and said the surveillance footage supported its claim.
Dine-and-dash incidents can be especially damaging to independently owned restaurants, which often operate on tight profit margins. Servers may also worry about being blamed for unpaid bills, although employers are restricted in many areas from taking such losses directly from workers’ paychecks.
It remains unclear whether @ The Diner has filed a police report in connection with the incident.
