A group of teenagers reportedly tried to leave a restaurant without paying their bill before prom, according to a server who shared the story on a TikTok video. The server, who posts under the handle @dear.ace, said the group had been dressed for the occasion, arriving in “fancy dresses, fancy hair, fancy makeup, fancy suits.” She said the teens ordered appetizers, mocktails, and some of the more expensive menu items.
The server said in her video that the group seemed unusually polite, adding that this “should have been my first sign.” She said the teens later ordered dessert, then ordered a second round of dessert, which she said was when she “should have known something was wrong.”
According to the server, the teenagers began leaving the table one by one to go to the bathroom while the second dessert order was being prepared. She said that eventually, only one couple remained at the table.
Server says she confronted the remaining couple after noticing the group had not returned
The server said she asked the couple where their friends had gone, and they reportedly told her the group had “just went to the bathroom.” She said she responded by telling them she had just come from the bathroom herself and had not seen the rest of the group there. The couple then reportedly suggested their friends were “probably on their way back.”
The server said she then looked around the restaurant and told the couple she did not see anyone else dressed for prom. She said the couple “didn’t know what to say” in response.
According to the server, she gave the couple two options: have their friends return to pay the $400 tab, or she would call the police and have their parents come to the restaurant to address the situation. She said police were ultimately called.
The server said the group had arrived in one or two cars and that the teenagers who had left the table were reportedly waiting in the parking lot for the remaining couple, meaning they were still on the property when authorities arrived. She said parents were contacted soon after police were called.
The server said that as a result of the incident, prom was reportedly canceled for at least six of the teenagers involved. She said she was not directly involved in the conversations between the teens and their parents but said she “overheard a lot of it” while nearby.
According to the server, the parents who came to the restaurant left a large tip. She did not specify an exact amount in the video. Similar tactics to ensure payment are sometimes used by servers in other situations.
The story drew a range of reactions in the comments section of the video. One commenter wrote, “I’d call the police.” Another user replied, “Which is what they did.” A third commenter responded, “It’s almost as if that’s what she did.”
In a separate comment thread, a user said that “8 top for 400 is only 50 per person,” adding, “that’s not a bad price for a prom dinner.” Another user replied, “It is if they don’t pay for it,” and added, “$50 times eight for a dine and dash is a lot.”
The identities of the teenagers involved have not been revealed, and it is not clear which restaurant or city the incident took place in. This is apparently not the first time a teenager has done something to a server; in another case, teenage boys pulled a cruel prank right before leaving.
