What actually happens when you can't pay for your meal?

You may be arrested for defrauding a shopkeeper, or you may end up washing dishes. I’d bet the police would be called… a person not acquainted with kitchen duties on a large, heavy duty scale would be a hindrance.

I think it would depend on the manager. Maybe washing dishes was actually the thing to do in the past.
You could come back and pay when you do have the money. Or they could write down your adress and send you the bill.

The cops get called, because the restaurant needs to have a police report when they go after you. and the restaurant’s insurance won’t cover the dine’n’dasher washing dishes.

Depends – as the others have responded.

One time I went to a restaurant – and I had forgotten my wallet. Fortunately it was a place I had been to many times before – the waiter and manager recognized me and told me to bring the payment the next day, which I did. So that was no big deal.

It also depends on how honest you look and how good of an excuse you have.

But the restaurant manager is absolutely within his/her rights to call the police and have them arrest you for theft.

It was a long time ago now, but it happened to me: a date took me out to dinner, and afterward he told me WE were going to have to wash the dishes to pay for it. We did, too. I spent the evening hosing off dishes with scalding water while he scrubbed. Why in the world did I go along with that?

The same guy took me out to lunch once and then borrowed money from me to pay the tab.

Ah, youth.

Back in the good old days, you’d be required to wash dishes to pay off your tab. In today’s civilized society, the cops would be called & you might be put in jail until you can get a bond set or a court date. Even the homeless are smart enough NOT to attempt it. It’s the same thing as stealing & is handled accordingly!!!

Trust is lost for that person and perhaps the owners will ban them from entering their property from then on.
Police charges and Identification taken etc ( standard procedures).
If a youth parents are called in to rectify the situation and the youth or child will be banned as well.
Not worth the life costs to cheat another as no more trust in that person will be forever on everyone’s minds no matter how long the incident took place.
People have long memories.
I know one lady who left her watch there as collateral until she came back with her credit card! She was trying to get me to pay for her meal but I did not have any money on me at that time since she persuaded me to go with her , downtown , on the spur of the moment at College.
Btw I never went with her again and never trusted her as soon others were caught up in her game too.

In my country, if someone had a meal but do not have money to pay, the restaurant owners will consider the cause first, forgetting money or losing the wallet, for example. Mostly they asked for national ID cards as the proof and will return to the customer who forgets money when he or she comes back to pay for the meal.
On the other hand, some people might pretend like they have money so to have a meal first then end up saying “I don’t have money”. This kind of people mostly will be arrested, or if the restaurant owner is kind, they might only need to work as a dishwasher there until they could pay for the meal.