What happens if you eat in a resturant and discover that you do not have any money?

Question

I have seen this happen on movies where the unfortunate individual ends up washing dishes to pay for the meal only to be yelled at and run out of the resturant by the owner after he breaks too many dishes.

How is this situation handled in real life?

Answer 1

Credit card , or phone a brother or a very near friend and ask for help.

Answer 2

Well those are just movies about washing dishes and being yelled at.

Restaurants are run by real people who have real feelings and real embarrassments just as yourself without a wallet.

Here is what I would do:

1) Tell the waiter kindly enough and speak to the restaurant manager about my problem. They will understand.

2) Offer some colateral on your own. It works BEST since the restaurant people shall be too embarrassed to say anything to you.

Offer them something that you HAVE to come back for. Like your license or credit card.

Don't offer your watch or valuables since it makes you look really cheap.

Then, go out to the ATM get the money or sit there and call a friend / parent / guardian to help you out of the mess.

3) Double check on my wallet before entering the restaurant.

4) If you find any restaurant people screaming at you - relax - call the owner. (But this usually will never happen unless you visit a really cheap joint.)

Answer 3

Why would you go into a restaurant if you know you don't have any money? A person with half a brain cell would make sure he has enough money before even walking in the place. You should have enough, PLUS a tip for the waiter/waitress, assuming that they give you good service. I know people who have went into restaurants without leaving a tip. I know people who have went into restaurants and left a HUGE tip, where the server didn't even deserve it. Of course, i have went into restaurants where someone left a dollar or two when there was a huge check.

I like what one comedian said. "You can't pay the check, they make you wash dishes? How does that work? What do they do, fire the dishwasher? The guy goes home, "Honey, i got bad news. I lost my job at the restaurant. Some guy didn't pay his check. That's ok. I'll take you out tonight. I won't pay my check. I'll be working again!"

Answer 4

What a good question, Joe. As a restaurant manager, I have seen this happen, and we handle it on a case-by-case basis.

First and foremost, do NOT simply sneak out of the restaurant, as one person suggested. If you do, one of two things will happen:
1) Your server will be forced to pay your check for you. We do this because it is your server's job to pay enough attention to you that you shouldn't be able to something like that unnoticed, and because in the absence of that practice, it would be VERY easy for unscrupulous severs to pocket cash from a bill and claim that they had a walk-out. Seems unfair, but it's an industry standard.
OR
2) Somebody will quietly get your license plate number, and you'll have the police to deal with. The staff is highly motivated on this one due to scenario #1.

When you call the manager to the table, we're going to automatically assume that you're an honest person, because you're not trying to sneak out. After that, it really all depends on the manager/restaurant in question, and what you plan to do to pay the bill. The most common scenario (usually offered by the patron before we have to ask) is for one person in the group to go to the nearest ATM while the others stay, or in the case of a single diner, leaving behind an item of value (cell phones are common, as are watches...anything you know fully well a member of the staff would gladly pay the amount of the check to take home if you don't return) while they go to fetch some money. In the case of folks we see regularly, I have been known to take a personal check (during business hours when I can call the bank to verify funds), use a spouse's credit card number obtained over the phone, or in a couple cases I have simply told a very regular guest who tips well that dinner was on me.

You will most certainly NOT be washing dishes. The paperwork to hire you legally and make sure you're covered by workman's comp. is blindingly complicated these days, and then we'd have to pay you, to boot.

The folks who work in restaurants are usually a bunch of fallable, work-a-day folks themselves, and are more understanding than you might give them credit for.

Answer 5

I've had it happen as a waitress and if you explain the situation and leave a contact number (which you can prove is real) and leave something important behind (like your drivers licence or jewlery) then you can come back with money at a later date. However, you could also be arrested if the owner is an ahole

Answer 6

If you can't make arrangements to pay,ie. leave your wallet or another person while you go get money to pay the bill, Then police will be called. The charge is theft of services. You'll be forced to make restitution. In event that doesn't happen it's the equivalent of petty theft as long as the bill was under $250.

Answer 7

Just hand over your watch or some other valuable thing to the manager and tell him that you'd collect it on making the full payment then go home and get the cash and come back and pay

Answer 8

Ask to speak to the manager in private & explain that it was a simple mistake. Tell him to keep your phone or something else of yours until you return with his money.

Well this happened to me at a gas station.(In South Africa you have attendants filling in the gas for you & you pay after filling). The manager kept my CD players removable face.

i always have a backup nowadays like a credit card in the car.

Answer 9

Write out a check, or call a friend or family member to bring the money.

Answer 10

Depends - you could be charged with theft of services...or the manager might take your Dirver's License and ask you to come back and pay the bill...