Philadelphia Diner Makes Waitress Pay For Customers Who Ran Out On Their Bill

A waitress at the Tiffany Diner in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was forced to cover the bill of a family who dined and dashed from her table, per the diner's management policy.

"To the family who came in yesterday morning for brunch and decided not only to leave a $3.00 tip on this $71.78 check but intentionally walk out without paying — thanks to you, I and my coworker had to pay up your bill," waitress Katie Morgan wrote on Facebook. "Failure to do so — I and my partner [sic] who worked the room in which you dined would have been terminated."

When interviewed by a local affiliate of ABC News, Morgan described the response from her managers, which was less than sympathetic:

"They say if you don't pay this — either half or full — don't bother coming back. You have to pay it, it's our policy. If you have a walk-out, you have to pay it."

An ABC News reporter then spoke with Morgan's manager, Simon Gecer, who confirmed the policy. "If she was around her station, she would be aware of it," Gecer said.

An employment lawyer who was also contacted disagreed, however. "The loss of the table's order is a business loss that should not be placed on the back of the server," an attorney told the news station.

At the very least, a little media attention was enough to make the diner rethink its policy, opting to return Morgan's money after reportedly reviewing the surveillance footage.

Gecer told ABC that he would "think about" changing the policy.