Ennistymon Gardaí are investigating a fraud that occurred last Tuesday night at 10pm in a restaurant in Lahinch.
A group of people visited the premises and ate a meal and when it was time to pay, one of the group stated there was nuts in the meal and he was allergic. An argument ensued between the group and the proprietor, with the group walking out without paying.
A Garda spokesperson said: “This type of fraud inflicts severe financial damage and emotional stress on restaurant staff and business owners.”
Gardaí have offered the following advice for restaurant owners:
Implement Table side payment: handing over the bill and processing the transactions at the table.
Hold credit cards: especially for large bookings
Upgrade security systems especially CCTV
Switch service models: Use counter service whereby the customers pay before eating eliminates the risk entirely.