Sydney Restaurant Waives $600 Bill After Armpit Hair Scam
Sydney Restaurant Waives $600 Bill After Alleged Armpit Hair Scam
Hospitality venues in Sydney, Australia have been warned to stay vigilant after a family was allegedly caught planting a hair on their own plate before refusing to pay a $600 bill.
The incident reportedly occurred at Pony in The Rocks, where staff say a family visiting from Ireland ordered several of the restaurant’s most expensive items — including a 1.8-kilogram tomahawk steak, along with entrees and drinks.
According to the restaurant, the issue was raised only after the group had finished eating.
CCTV reviewed by the venue appears to show a man reaching under his arm, pulling out a hair and placing it onto his plate.
Head chef Neil Nolan, who has led the kitchen for two decades, said he had never encountered anything like it.
“I’ve never seen this ever before. Like, this was another level of trying to scam,” Nolan told 7NEWS.
The hair was described as blonde, while Nolan noted that neither he nor any of the kitchen staff had blonde hair.
When confronted, Nolan said the man became increasingly agitated, raised his voice and refused to pay any portion of the account. The confrontation escalated in the dining room, with the man’s wife allegedly breaking down in tears while other diners looked on.
Concerned about the disturbance to other patrons, management chose to waive the entire bill to bring the situation to an end.
After the incident, the restaurant claims it learned of similar allegations involving what is believed to be the same family at another nearby venue.
The contact details used for the booking were allegedly false, and the family is believed to have since left the area.
Nolan reported the matter to police but was advised there was little immediate action that could be taken. He later shared the CCTV footage publicly on social media to alert other hospitality operators.
