A man in Florida was arrested for dining and dashing: He ate and ran from several restaurants without paying

A man identified as Juan Carlos Rivera, 40 years old, was arrested by the Doral police after being accused of defrauding at least five locations of the Sports Grill restaurant chain in Miami-Dade County. His method involved dining, drinking, and leaving without paying.

Rivera would present himself at the restaurants well-dressed, in a blazer and dark glasses, and would spend several hours at the bar consuming expensive food and drinks, such as special grilled wings, mozzarella sticks, Space Dust beers, and Jameson whiskey shots. Then, he would place an order "for his wife" and leave the restaurant under the pretense of delivering it, never to return, as reported by Local 10.

One of the most notable cases occurred on May 10th, at the location of 5741 NW 87th Avenue, Doral, where he accumulated a bill of 260 dollars. According to Christine Marques, the operations director of Sports Grill, “he was at the bar for almost four hours, relaxing, having a great time, drinking expensive spirits”.

The security cameras captured Rivera repeating the same scheme in stores located on Bird Road, Kendall, and other areas of Miami-Dade. Marques commented: "He asked for the same thing at all of them."

The manager Ellen Fitzgerald added that the situation has deeply affected the company, and that from now on, credit cards will be required when placing orders and internal surveillance will be strengthened to prevent future fraud. “We like to think that people are inherently good, and when something like this happens, it’s sad,” she said.

This is not the first time Rivera has faced similar charges. In 2024, he was arrested after leaving without paying at an Outback Steakhouse on Miller Drive, where he left a card with insufficient funds. According to Local 10, on that occasion, he mocked the restaurant's slogan: “No rules, just right.”

Now, due to the most recent events, he faces charges for organized schemes to defraud and deceive an innkeeper. The judge ordered his detention without the possibility of bail, and authorities also confirmed that he had an active probation warrant for a robbery with a firearm in 2019.

"When you take advantage of the local neighborhood restaurant, it's not right," Marques lamented.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Juan Carlos Rivera Case and Frauds in Miami-Dade Restaurants