DINERS IN LONDON

Hokitika Guardian, 1 June 1932, Page 2

DINERS IN LONDON

REFUSAL TO PAY BILLS

RKSTA UR ANT PROBLEMS

LONDON; May 31. AVest Eng restaurants have declared war on “Dinner Crashers.”

Men and women dining in wellknown restaurants, betels, and night clubs have Coen signing bills which, after tue meal, they rearm to pay. the trouble, began with the ■ borrowing of the idea which Parisians adopted to popularise new restaurants and cabarets by establishing a free list for social butterflies.

The West End proprietors particularly invited bright young people and similar decorative customers, who were expected to attract smaller fry. ■ Eventually the free-list patrons abused their invitations and refused to take the hint when the maitre d’hotel presented the bill for cocktails and dinner wines.

The proprietors of the restaurants are combining in self-defence,, ’forming a. black list, suing offenders, and limiting the free dinner credit to £ls. One well known establishment has cut-standing dinner bills of £3COO, of which only £l5O is realisable,.

Hotel habitues, trading on the belief that their presence is a good advertisement, include a nobleman who l‘atl up a bill for £IOO for himself and three servants and depra-ted without paying. Bar-crashing is also developing, Two men and a woman tried to sign a chit for £32 worth of drinks.