Man doesn't pay for lunch buffet at Hey! Yakiniku in Bugis, leaves via back exit

A man dined at the Hey! Yakiniku outlet at Bugis Junction and allegedly left without paying.

The restaurant has since posted the alleged dine-and-dash incident on Facebook, explaining that the man had used the back door to exit without the staff noticing.

Requested for seat near back exit

Speaking to Mothership, a spokesperson said the customer arrived at around 3:49pm on Jul. 7 for the all-you-can-eat lunch buffet priced at S$25.90 nett.

He requested a seat near the back exit, and staff accommodated his request as it was an off-peak hour, they added.

According to screenshots of his order history, he ordered nine portions of various meats, including karubi and pork belly.

Surveillance footage seen by Mothership showed the man getting up from his seat and slipping out of the back exit door next to his table.

This occurred at around 4:34pm, some 45 minutes after he stepped into the restaurant.

The staff initially thought the man had just gone for a toilet break as he still had a lot of food left on the table.

However, he did not turn up after one hour, which was when the staff realised something was amiss.

The manager decided to view the footage and realised that the customer had left using the back door.

Giving customer chance to come forward

The restaurant has not lodged a police report yet as it wanted to give the customer a "chance" to come forward.

However, the management will soon be making a police report as it appeared unlikely that the customer would turn up, the spokesperson said.

"We usually don’t post things like this, but today we feel it’s important. We’re not here to shame anyone — but to remind everyone that running a restaurant is no easy task," the spokesperson said.

"From early prep to late cleanups, our team puts in honest, hard work every single day. Every meal served supports local jobs, fresh ingredients, and a dream that keeps this place going."

Top photo from Hey!Yakiniku