The two friends thought they could get away without paying their bill – but they didn’t count on the Italian restaurant owner’s ‘sixth sense’
Two tourists who attempted to dodge their bill were caught out by a quick-thinking Italian restaurant owner, who used social media to track them down.
Italian-based media platform Cronache Maceratesi reports that Michela Malatini, the proprietor of I Due Re pizzeria in Civitanova Marche, had posted CCTV images of the pair on the eatery’s Facebook page and managed to identify them through comments from her followers.
She revealed that the duo, both around 30-years-old, had consumed two pizzas and two drinks each, racking up a bill of €44 (approximately £38).
However, when it was time to settle the bill, they simply stood up and left the premises: “I saw that the table was empty and waited to make sure they hadn’t gone to the bathroom,” Michela told journalists.
The irate businesswoman took a snapshot of the culprits from the restaurant’s CCTV footage and shared it on the popular pizzeria’s Facebook page.
Michela revealed that she had developed a knack for identifying potential dine and dash customers due to the frequency of such incidents, and had devised her own unique method of ensuring justice was served.
She explained: “It happens often. The police? I don’t call them. I always find the customers, I have my own method.
“I had seen them both and knew where they were going,” she continued. “I posted a message on Facebook and, thanks to some comments, I was able to find them.”
A few hours after uploading her post, Michela received a response that read: “Found! I’m at the B&B.”
She contacted the B&B’s manager and made her way there, prepared to confront the unsuspecting holidaymakers with their outstanding bill the moment they awoke.
“They didn’t even understand what was going on, but they recognised me and took out their wallets,” she said.
“It’s more of a story to smile about. It happens once or twice a week,” Michela added. “I’ve always dealt with it this way; I’ve never called the police.
“Thanks to the cameras, I can find those who run away, contact them and tell them I’ll be waiting for them to settle the bill, showing them the security video. The next day, they all come back,” she explained with a laugh.”
She said that it’s the principle of the thing, rather than the loss of the €44. “It’s not so much about the money,” she said.
“It’s a large beach club with 70 employees, and €44 doesn’t make a difference. But if people start thinking that they can come and eat without paying, it becomes a problem.”