Myrtle Beach restaurants say dining, dashing is a summer issue. Here’s how they address it

Some Myrtle Beach restaurants have implemented new rules to prevent customers from dining and dashing, especially during the summer months when millions of tourists are in the area, but not every establishment has jumped on that wave.

Places such as RipTydz Rooftop Grille & Bar and Beach House Bar and Grill require patrons to give them their ID to prevent them from running out on their bill, The Sun News previously reported.

“We have a big problem during the summer months with a lot of people walking out on their tabs,” Beach House manager Cameron Van Buren said. “If they are not comfortable with that option, we have a “pay as you go” option. You can just order things, and it’s like grabbing a drink and then paying for your drink as soon as you get it.”

Despite the few restaurants on Ocean Boulevard that have adopted this practice, Tin Roof is not asking guests to hand over their IDs.

Instead, bartenders will hold on to patrons’ cards when they order from the bar, assistant manager Nik Keys said.

Besides that, he added, waiters are pretty sufficient in keeping up with their tables and ensuring all bills are taken care of before guests leave.

Mikayla Moskov, a spokesperson for the Horry County Police Department, told The Sun News in an email she doesn’t know how often those incidents occur because they can be reported as petty theft, larceny, fraud or another type of crime depending on the circumstances.

But she also said the amount of dining and dashing incidents might be inaccurate, if businesses are not reporting them.

Tin Roof is not likely to report them to police, Keys said. If guests dine and dash, the restaurant will usually take care of it, he added, noting that if it continued to happen, they would take another course of action.

Keys also said they would usually pre-authorize a card if there is a big tab to ensure no one leaves their check. He also notes that cameras will help managers point out dashers and tell employees to watch out for them.

Moskov said the department has not provided any guidance to restaurants about how they should handle dashers.

“It’s up to the discretion of the business owner or manager what they want to file a report on, just like with other incidents, such as shoplifting or property damage,” she said.