An Italian pizzeria owner has been praised for her bravery after tracking down a pair of 'dine and dash' tourists and presenting them with their bill. The two French women had enjoyed pizza and Aperol spritz at Ai Due Re pizzeria in Civitanova Marche, on the Adriatic coast, before leaving without paying the €44 bill.
Michela Malatini, the owner, told local media the pair arrived without a reservation and ordered two pizzas and four spritzes. 'When it was time to pay, they got up and slowly walked out of the door,' she said. Malatini shared a CCTV image of the pair on Facebook and, with the help of commenters, traced them to a holiday apartment in the town.
Early the next morning, she went to the apartment and knocked on the door, waking the women and presenting them with the bill. 'The two women were very helpful and immediately handed over the money without the slightest protest,' Malatini told Cronache Maceratesi. She added that such episodes are happening more often, but surveillance cameras make it difficult to get away with.
Malatini emphasised the hard work of her staff, saying that seeing customers attempt to leave without paying 'is a slap in the face for our work'. She was lauded for her 'brilliance' and 'bravery' by commenters on Instagram, with one writing: 'You did good!'
'Dine and dash' is a growing problem in other European countries, including the UK, where restaurant bosses have spoken out about its financial and mental impact. In Italy, the perpetrators tend to be tourists. In July, a couple in Verbania, Piedmont, left without paying but had to return after one left his mobile phone on the table, only to find police waiting.
