A Barrie restaurant server is not on the hook for a $100 dine-and-dash from the Lockeroom restaurant on Cundles Road.
Mandy Cunningham, who is eight months pregnant, has finally accepted payment - but only to spare her boss more grief.
Cunningham and her manager Dana Parris want to set the record straight and focus the story back on the real villains - the people who rang up a big bill and took off without paying.
"Let's catch the criminals," said Cunningham. "It feels like you've been robbed. It's theft."
Barrie Police issued a news release Thursday in a bid to catch six culprits who did a dine-and-dash on July 23.
Cunningham ran after the suspects but they escaped without paying.
The long-time waitress insisted on covering the tab from her tips, despite protests from her boss.
But now Cunningham has relented after manager Dana Parris started receiving hate e-mails from the public.
"I was refusing to accept payment before on principle," said Cunningham. "I paid out of my tips. But because of all this I accepted the $100."
The police news release stated the server paid the bill herself, which was true, but Cunningham says some people misinterpreted that to mean she was forced to pay through her wages,
"I told her you're not going to be on the hook for this bill,' " said manager Parris. "She said 'Dana I'm not leaving the bill with you because I'm going to find these guys and I"m going charge them. It's unfair for you to pay."
Parris was devastated by the venom being thrown her way.
"First and foremost, to say the story went off the rails is the biggest understatement of the century," said Parris.
"I got more hate e-mails yesterday than I ever thought I would ever experience in my life. It was awful. People telling me that I was disgusting. I hope your bar burns to the ground. How can you treat your staff like this."
"Anybody who knows anybody here knows we are a family," said an emotional Parris and Cunningham agrees.
Parris has been in the restaurant business for 31 years and says she was unaware the Ministry of Labour prohibits servers from paying for walk-outs.
She says it hasn't been an issue because it so rarely happens.
"The only way I feel like a victim is when those guys ran out," said Cunningham.
"I didn't stick her with the bill. They stuck her with the bill. I offered to cover the bill," said Parris.
Police are asking anyone who may have information on this incident to contact Const. Welten of the Barrie Police Service at 705-725-7025 ext. 2711 or email at [email protected].
People who want to remain anonymous can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
