California family exits Captain Crab without paying. Then one of the alleged offenders explains why she did it: ‘Anybody who know me know I stay with money’

Oftentimes you’ll hear that running a restaurant is one of the most stressful  — and least profitable — businesses someone can get into. It certainly doesn’t help that dine-and-dash incidents remain a persistent problem. And if a recent case at a California Captain Crab restaurant is anything to go by, some people apparently do it simply for the thrill.

A family of six at a Sacramento location reportedly racked up a bill of nearly $500 on Tuesday, July 14. But instead of paying and heading home, surveillance footage allegedly shows them quickly leaving the restaurant without settling the check.

The New York Post identified one of the alleged diners as a social media user who goes by the username @datgurl_nanabee. In a video shared online after the incident, she can reportedly be heard saying, “Anybody who knows me know I stay with money,” explaining and apparently admitting that while she did dine and dash, it wasn’t because she was financially incapable.

The suspects gave people something to talk about

In the same video, the woman appeared to acknowledge the incident, saying, “Y’all know I have money to pay for that s–t, I just be doing s–t. Y’all mad because you b—hes ain’t me.” She continued, “Y’all mad because I got away with a dine-and-dash and y’all didn’t. We just gave y’all something else to talk about.” Based on the outlet’s findings, she posted this video while she and her family were inside the restaurant as she told her followers to not share the video “before we be getting outside.”

The restaurant’s manager said incidents like this happen two or three times every month. That’s partly why the business decided to release the surveillance footage publicly. If legal consequences aren’t enough to deter repeat offenders, public embarrassment sometimes can be.

Seafood boil restaurants can be especially vulnerable to dine-and-dash incidents. Seafood is expensive to source, transport, and preserve, meaning customers often leave with much larger bills than they would at many casual restaurants. As a result, every unpaid tab represents a significant loss.

Restaurants generally operate on relatively thin profit margins. Even successful establishments often make only about 3% to 9% in profit after expenses. As the pandemic demonstrated, it doesn’t take long for repeated financial hits to threaten a restaurant’s survival.

To combat dine-and-dash theft, many restaurants have adapted their operations. Some have shifted toward counter service or upfront payment models, while others have invested in surveillance systems and staff training to help identify suspicious behavior without compromising customer service.

Employees often find themselves in a difficult position. They’re expected to remain welcoming while also keeping an eye out for potential theft, and in some cases they’re unfairly blamed when customers leave without paying. Surveillance footage has become one of the industry’s most effective tools for helping identify suspects. According to the New York Post, those convicted of dine-and-dash theft in California can face criminal penalties depending on the value involved.

Shame is the only tactic restaurants have left

Publicly posting surveillance footage of suspected dine-and-dash customers is a newer tactic. Whether it ultimately discourages future incidents remains to be seen, but it’s one more approach restaurants are beginning to try. 

However, it’s easy to understand the restaurant staff’s frustration. Having to deal with people who allegedly make their jobs harder for the sake of a cheap thrill would wear on anyone. Whether public embarrassment is the right response is debatable, but some businesses clearly believe it’s one of the few deterrents they have left.