‘It wasn’t the right thing to do’: Customer at North Miami Beach juice bar eats burger, swipes tip jar – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports
NORTH MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) – A customer at a North Miami Beach juice bar was hungry for crime, and his dash for cash led him to set his sights on the restaurant’s tip jar.
Speaking with 7News on Sunday, Louis Alexis, the manager of The Squeeze Juice Bar & Restaurant, said it was initially hard for the business in its early days.
“Well, basically we’ve been in business about five years now. We started off with no loans, no assistance, just a bunch of credit card debt,” he said.
That’s what made Friday’s shocking swipe sting.
Alexis said a customer stole the tip jar when no one was looking.
“So, it was Friday afternoon around 5:30. Our cashier was here serving,” he said. “She finished serving the customer whom you saw sitting down eating a burger, and I guess she went to the back to wash dishes or grab something, and when she came back, actually Saturday morning, she realized that the tip jar was gone.”
The diner with the sticky fingers was caught on camera slouching at his table, waiting until the coast was clear to bounce up, take the tip jar and walk right out the door.
“Right now, the times are extremely hard with the cost of everything — cost of permits, cost of fees,” said Alexis. “Sometimes we sacrifice our own personal rent, our own personal well-being, to make sure that our staff is able to pay their bills, as honest business owners, so for them to take her tips after she worked a very long day was very disheartening.”
The thief had just enjoyed a burger from the restaurant before taking off with the cash that would have gone to hardworking employees.
“At the end of the day, it wasn’t the right thing to do to steal from somebody who was working all day long, because she did work a double shift that day,” said Alexis.
If you have any information on this theft or the subject’s whereabouts, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.
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