Staff foots S$64 bill after 3 diners eat & leave at Japanese restaurant in Jewel Changi Airport

Editor's note: This article has been updated to include details about the diners making repayment.

A wait staff working at a Japanese restaurant in Jewel Changi Airport had to pay the bill after three women ate and left without paying.

The Jan. 11 incident was reported by Shin Min Daily News.

The employee who had to pick up the tab, surnamed Gu (transliteration), 48, shared surveillance footage with the Chinese newspaper in hopes of warning others about the diners, who appear to be three women.

According to the restaurant's policy, the wait staff have to pay the bill as the dine-and-dash incident took place under her watch.

What they ordered

The dine-and-dashers ordered S$64.27 worth of food, including two udon dishes, a chawanmushi set meal, seafood donburi, and a drink.

Gu said she was busy running between the kitchen and serving area that day, and it was other staff who were serving the customers.

One colleague was sick that day, and another stood in for the absent person, she also revealed.

How non-payers were discovered

It was only at around 8pm that Gu checked the computer system and saw that there were five sets of guests reflected, but she only saw four groups in the restaurant.

She reported the matter to her supervisor and the surveillance footage was inspected.

It showed the three women apparently leaving the restaurant without paying.

3 cases last year

Gu said the restaurant has been open for three years.

She encountered three sets of customers who ate and left without paying in the past year, and they comprised foreigners and locals, she said.

One of them even ordered the most expensive dish, ate it, and left without paying, and Gu had to chase after him.

"I ran out to chase him to pay, and he feigned innocence when I confronted him, claiming he had already paid," Gu said.

The restaurant has since put up a sign to inform diners that surveillance cameras have been installed, and those who dine and dash will be reported to the police.

Gu said she did not make a police report regarding this latest incident as she felt the process would be tedious.

Trio returned to pay

In an update on the incident, Shin Min reported that the customers involved have paid the bill.

The staff, who had to pick up the tab, contacted the Chinese media a day after the original story was published to inform the publication that repayment was made and shed light on the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The staff said one of the diners claimed the trio did not deliberately dine and dash, but had forgotten about paying and left.

According to the staff, the diner also claimed that as she was headed overseas the day after the incident, she tried contacting the restaurant via email to find out how to repay what was owed, but did not receive a response.

The repayment has since been made via PayNow.

The staff, who had to foot the bill, has also received a refund.

Top photo via Shin Min Daily News