What was meant to be a pleasant evening at an Indian restaurant in the UK turned into a stressful ordeal for its owners after a group of families walked out without paying their bill. The incident took place at Sai Surbhi restaurant in Greater Manchester.
Owners Raman Kaur and Narinder Singh Athwa shared the story on social media along with a photo of the unpaid bill, which showed the total at over £200 (around ₹23,500).
According to their post, two families four adults and four children visited on August 30. They enjoyed their food, praised the service and decor, and caused no problems apart from the usual noise of young kids running around.
But trouble began when the bill arrived. The diners reportedly tried five different cards, called people for money transfers, yet failed to make any payment.
“The only issue came at the end,” the owners wrote, explaining how the families left saying they had no way to pay. When asked for ID, they couldn’t provide any, nor did they have cash.
Before leaving, the group gave a name and phone number, apologised, and promised to clear the bill the next day. They even said that if they didn’t, the owners could release CCTV footage of them on social media.
The couple stressed how badly such incidents hurt their business, saying, “As a small, family-run restaurant, times are already really tough. Not paying a £200 bill has a huge impact—we can’t afford this happening even once, let alone again. That money would cover staff wages, bills, or stock.”
Support And Reactions
Their post drew an outpouring of support and advice online. Many urged them to contact police or share the CCTV footage.
One person suggested, “Hotels often take a card upfront, maybe restaurants should do the same.” Another wrote, “Release the footage so people know who these thieves are.”
A supporter added, “Please report it to the police. I don’t know if they’ll act, but this shouldn’t be ignored. You run such an amazing restaurant, and it’s awful this happened to you.”
Others echoed the call: “This is terrible—no business should go through this. Definitely release the CCTV, they may target others too.