A Cape Town woman dubbed the “dine-and-dash queen” of the Mother City was recently apprehended after fleeing an upmarket CBD restaurant without paying her bill of over R3,000.
The Incident
Courtney October, also known as Courtney Azariah, went to Restaurant Bôujee earlier this month with two of her pals. After eating, the three of them left quickly. At the end of the night, after they were done eating, Courtney told the waiter that the company would pay for the bill since she had a lot of followers.
The Bill
The bill came to R3,425, which consisted of three Pornstar Martinis, 12 oysters, 12 crayfish tails, three plates of egg-fried rice, a crunch platter, and Purple Rain. However, the floor manager informed her that such arrangements are usually communicated with the staff. Since no such communication was relayed to them, she was obligated to settle the bill.
The Escape
Then, she told the waiter they were heading to the ATM and would pay the bill when they returned. Her word was accepted, and because she was charging her phone at the bar, it took a while for the manager to discover what was happening. Courtney and her two friends left the restaurant a bit ago to go to the ATM but have yet to return. The restaurant staff was then told to call the police. When the police came, they said the restaurant workers that the woman still hadn’t returned.
The Charges
Police spokesman Malcolm Pojie stated that after Courtney and her friends didn’t come back, Akindele filed a theft with pretenses (bilking) allegation against the suspect, who reportedly bought dinner for her and her pals but didn’t pay the bill. October is set to go to court on March 28 at the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court.
The proprietor of Restaurant Bôujee, Ladipo Akindele, said that October is part of a group that tries to get money and services from wealthy men and companies. This information will be part of the police inquiry.
Previous Incidents
This is not the first time someone has broken into Restaurant Bôujee. A former worker named Luan Schultz is said to have taken up to R1.6 million from his firm before being arrested. Akindele was one of several restaurant owners in Cape Town that took Schultz to court.
The incident has raised concerns about the rise of “dine-and-dash” incidents in the Mother City, and the need for restaurants to be vigilant about payment procedures.
It is crucial that restaurants take necessary precautions to prevent such incidents and ensure their staff is trained to handle such situations.
