3 women accused of dine-and-dash at Chicago restaurant, brag about it online

CHICAGO - A birthday celebration at a Near North Side restaurant took a shameless turn when three women dined, dashed, and bragged about it online. Chicago police are now investigating the incident.

What we know:

Three women from Rochester, New York, were in Chicago to celebrate a birthday when they left behind a surprise at Soul Vibez three days ago.

After enjoying chicken wings, alfredo, and a flight of drinks, the group racked up a tab of more than $200. They then skipped out on the bill, leaving one at a time within 30 seconds of the server stepping away, according to surveillance footage. One woman was wearing a blue wig.

The women also inadvertently provided their names and phone numbers when they added themselves to the restaurant’s waitlist before being seated.

To make matters worse, the trio reportedly posted about the incident on social media, tagging the restaurant and thanking them for the free food.

This incident is not the first of its kind. The restaurant's owners, who operate five locations, have reported an increase in dine-and-dash incidents, a crime that impacts both the owners and the staff.

"Labor costs is up 35%, product costs are up 35% and I used to say, the industry used to be an industry of nickels and dimes. Now it's an industry of pennies and nickels. So when you get these dine and dash incidents… the consumer who is doing this dine and dash, might think, 'Oh it's just $100.' Yeah, but it's hurting the bottom line," said President of the Illinois Restaurant Association Sam Toia. 

What's next:

A police report has been filed, and Chicago police are investigating.

If the women are charged, they could face a Class A misdemeanor for theft of services under $500, punishable by up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine.