Restaurant owners keeping eye on known ‘drink and dasher’ in Nexton area

BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – Restaurant owners are keeping an eye on a particular suspect who they said has been a known “dine-and-dasher”.

You’ve likely heard the term – it’s when someone leaves a restaurant without paying the bill; however, this individual appears to be drink-and-dashing in the Nexton area.

He recently tried to drink and dash at Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar.

“There’s been a dine-and-dasher around here for a couple of months now. It’s been going around a Facebook food and Bev group, and he’s been here multiple times. The one time we knew it was him,” said Clement Metrejean, Assistant General Manager for Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar.

There has been a pattern concerning the man. Restaurant managers say he often just orders drinks, usually Jack Daniels and Coke or a Long Island Iced Tea before leaving the business. The man says he’s going to eat outside or is going to take a smoke break, and then leaves without paying.

He was recently caught on camera at LPC Kitchen.

“We have pictures from our cameras of the guy. A little blurry, but we posted the pictures to see if other restaurants have had the situation. Apparently, there’s been a lot of people that have had the situation,” said Peter Lombardi, owner of LPC Kitchen.

The suspect was questioned by Berkeley County deputies last weekend at Bad Daddy’s while on the Live PD television show. But while deputies were talking with him, a customer offered to pay his tab.

“Some customer was trying to be nice and paid his tab,” said Clement Metrejean, Assistant General Manager for Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar. “As soon as the officer heard that, he couldn’t do anything because somebody was gonna pay for his tab. So that’s why he wasn’t arrested that night.”

If your business has been a victim of this drink-and-dash issue, you are encouraged to contact the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office.