Latest news with #Musterer
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Serial ‘dine-and-dasher' arrested for targeting California restaurants — wracked up nearly $1K in unpaid tabs
A California man accused of repeatedly dining at multiple locations of a South Bay sushi restaurant and leaving without paying has been arrested. He racked up significant unpaid bills over two months, leaving Randy Musterer, owner of Sushi Confidential, struggling to recover potential losses of up to $1,000 in unpaid meals. Unfortunately, this type of incident is becoming increasingly common. I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 5 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) Americans with upside-down car loans owe more money than ever before — and drivers can't keep up. Here are 3 ways to cut your monthly costs ASAP And customers dining and skipping out on their bills is just one form of customer-related fraud that restaurant owners face. Some restaurants have also been the target of virtual dine-and-sash scams, with scammers placing orders through food delivery services like DoorDash, picking them up and then submitting claims to the app that they never received their order or disputing the charge with their credit card company. With the recent arrest in Campbell, local business owners hope that these incidents will decrease. According to ABC7 News, the man, whose identity has yet to be revealed, was taken into custody by police after his fourth dine-and-dash attempt at the Campbell, California, location. He allegedly visited several Sushi Confidential locations, ordered food and drinks, then left without paying. 'It's a minimum of $500 or $600 and it may be up towards $1,000 when we're pulling additional receipts,' Musterer told ABC7. The total of the unpaid food and drinks costs is significant due to California Penal Code 357, which specifically relates to dining and dashing. Known as 'defrauding an innkeeper,' potential fines and jail time depend on whether the total value exceeds $950. The restaurant owner believes the suspect had dined and dashed at least three times between Sushi Confidential's Campbell and San Jose locations. He'd pulled an image of the man from his security cameras and posted it in the restaurant's back area, along with receipts of the tabs he'd walked out on. And so when the diner came in for a fourth time, staff were able to recognize him and call Musterer, who then brought in the local police. After a short chase, the police were able to apprehend him. The man, a local of Campbell, was cited and released pending his court date. Read more: Gold just hit a historic high of $3,000/ounce on Trump's tariff moves — while US stocks got slaughtered. Here's 1 simple way to prevent more pain within minutes While one unpaid meal may not seem like a major problem, repeated incidents of theft, like Sushi Confidential's, can significantly impact restaurants, especially family-owned establishments. Restaurants are known for operating on slim profit margins, which average between 3% and 5%. When businesses repeatedly lose money from unpaid meals and other forms of theft or fraud, those margins narrow even further and they sometimes adjust their prices to compensate. For customers, this can mean higher menu prices, additional service fees or stricter payment policies. Some establishments have begun requiring customers to put down deposits or a credit card preauthorization when making a reservation — especially for large parties. Others have adopted casual dining practices, such as requiring customers to place and pay for orders before being seated. Some restaurants pass the cost on to their employees, requiring servers to cover the cost when someone skips out on their bill. However, that depends on the state you live in as this practice is illegal in certain parts of the country. Regardless, Musterer emphasizes that when people dine and dash, it's not some faceless corporation they're robbing. 'It is harming small businesses. It's harming all of our employees. And there's security issues with all of this in general,' said Musterer. 'We just hope that no one wants to steal from others.' Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan 'works every single time' to kill debt, get rich in America — and that 'anyone' can do it Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Protect your retirement savings with these 5 essential money moves — most of which you can complete in just minutes This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Yahoo
South Bay dine-and-dasher busted after skipping out on $1K in sushi bills
The Brief Randy Musterer, the owner of Sushi Confidential, said a serial dine-and-dasher has racked up a $1,000 debt in sushi and beer. Musterer said the culprit had hit his San Jose and Campbell locations. He said the suspect was finally arrested. CAMPBELL, Calif. - An alleged serial dine-and-dasher's luck ran out after he was busted in Campbell, thanks in part to a sushi restaurant where he had repeatedly skipped out on the bill. Randy Musterer, owner of Sushi Confidential, which has locations in Campbell and San Jose, posted videos to Instagram showing the suspect in action. What they're saying Musterer said the man targeted his restaurants over two months, racking up $1,000 in unpaid sushi and beer. He said waitstaff was on alert and had the suspect's photo in case he returned. "Campbell staff spotted him dining alone on the patio—hat and hoodie on, trying to stay under the radar. We played it smart: served his food, then immediately closed out his check to see how he'd react," Mustere wrote on Monday. "Sure enough, he asked where the bathroom was—classic move to sneak out the back. Our busser anticipated it, ran to the other exit, and caught him in the act. The thief panicked, walked back through the restaurant, and bolted out the front door." Musterer said he called the Campbell Police Department's non-emergency line and went looking for the suspect himself. He said officers searched the downtown area for 20 minutes to no avail. Then Musterer said he spotted the man near another restaurant, called police again, and within minutes, officers made an arrest. "Turns out, he also had a warrant for his arrest," Musterer said. "One less thief on the streets—and hopefully, one less restaurant dealing with his scams. Justice served!" The Campbell Police Department has not yet responded to a request for comment on the incident. The Source Randy Musterer of Sushi Confidential
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Yahoo
How a South Bay sushi spot caught a ‘serial dine-and-dasher'
(KRON) — The Campbell Police Department arrested a 'serial dine-and-dasher' in the South Bay on Sunday, according to Randy Musterer, who is the CEO of Sushi Confidential in San Jose and Campbell. Musterer said the man had stolen a total of almost $1,000 from both of his restaurants. Restaurant employees were given a photo of the suspect in case he returned, and employees at the Campbell location saw him Sunday night donning a hat and hoodie. Employees handed him his check as soon as they served his food, Musterer said. The suspect asked where the bathroom was and tried to sneak out the back. Santa Rosa teen arrested for bringing 9mm Glock to school A busser was waiting at the back exit, and the suspect saw him and walked back through the restaurant to the front. He left and jogged to his car, video posted by Musterer shows. Musterer watched the situation unfold on security cameras and called the Campbell Police Department. Musterer said he drove around town and eventually spotted the suspect near Coach's Sports Bar and Grill, located at 2240 S. Winchester Blvd. in Campbell. CPD responded and arrested him. The suspect had an open arrest warrant, according to Musterer. 'One less thief on the streets—and hopefully, one less restaurant dealing with his scams,' Musterer said. KRON4 reached out to the Campbell Police Department for confirmation and did not receive a response in time for publication. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
