Georgia Buffalo Wild Wings Server Says Rude Late-Night Customers Argued Over Drinks, Then Walked Out Without Paying Their Bill
TIFTON, GEORGIA — A Buffalo Wild Wings server says what began as a slow Monday night shift turned chaotic after a group of late-night guests argued over drink orders, then allegedly walked out without paying.
TikTok creator Mikaela (@mik_0114) shared the incident in a video titled “Storytime,” which has since drawn more than 25,000 views and widespread support from hospitality workers who’ve faced similar situations.
Late-Night Guests Turn Problematic
Mikaela said two customers arrived around 10:45 p.m., about an hour before closing, saying they were waiting for friends. She took their drink and appetizer order and assumed the night would go smoothly.
“They were super sweet,” she said in the clip. But after nearly an hour, she checked back, asking if they were ready to order dinner. They placed their food order and warned her their friends were still on the way.
Mikaela reminded them that food orders stopped at 11:30 p.m. and last call was 11:45 p.m. “They said their friends weren’t going to eat or drink, so I thought it was fine,” she recalled.
The Drink Dispute
When the friends finally arrived, one of them carried an outside drink — a clear violation of restaurant policy. Mikaela says he surrendered it without issue, but that’s when things began to go downhill.
With just minutes left before the kitchen closed, the newcomers decided they did want food and drinks after all. By then, the bartender had already called last call.
“I told them, ‘Unfortunately, I can’t get you any alcohol,’” Mikaela said. “One of them goes, ‘Naw, that’s not cool, dude.’ Then the girl started giving me attitude.”
When the group demanded she tell the bartender to make them drinks anyway, Mikaela refused.
“‘She’s already called last call,’ I said. ‘And I can’t make her do anything. That’s not how this works.’”
Bartender Makes One Exception
After explaining the situation, Mikaela says the bartender agreed to make one final round for the group. But one of the guests immediately ordered two drinks.
“Fine, but that’s all she gets,” Mikaela quoted the bartender as saying.
At that point, the original couple — the polite customers who came earlier — paid their bill and tipped generously, even apologizing for their friends’ behavior.
@mik_0114
Dine and Dash
Moments later, Mikaela looked up from the register to find the rest of the table completely empty.
“You mean to tell me you just gave me all this BS to walk out on your check? You’ve got to be joking me,” she said in disbelief.
Although her manager covered the unpaid tab, Mikaela noted that many restaurants require servers to pay for walkouts out of their tips — a policy that can leave workers short on pay.
The Bigger Problem
According to hospitality data firm Binwise, roughly 5% of restaurant diners admit to “dining and dashing.” Alcohol-related thefts are even more common, particularly during closing hours when staff are distracted.
While some customers think they can get away with it, consequences vary by state. In Georgia, leaving without paying a restaurant bill can be prosecuted as theft, punishable by fines or even jail time depending on the amount owed.
Federal law also protects servers from being forced to cover the cost of dine-and-dash incidents if doing so would reduce their wages below the federal minimum. Still, Mikaela says it’s often the emotional toll that lingers.
“People don’t realize how stressful closing shifts are,” one viewer commented on her post. “You’re trying to wrap up, and someone walks in ten minutes before close expecting full service.”
For Mikaela, it’s just another reminder of the lack of respect restaurant workers often face.
“Where is your manners? Where is your respect?” she asked. “We try to be nice, but some people just take advantage.”
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