Restaurant owner Robert Melman, 72, was left completely bewildered when he discovered that the sink and accompanying pipework had mysteriously vanished from the ladies’ bathroom at his upscale Brazilian steakhouse.
It was just another day at Jardim Rodizo, a fancy Brazilian steakhouse in the upmarket town of Altrincham near Manchester, until staff noticed something was… well, missing.
During a routine bathroom inspection last Thursday, employees made a shocking discovery — one of their “nice sinks” had completely disappeared from the ladies’ restroom.
“I’ve seen a lot of things, but never something like this,” Melman told the Manchester Evening News, clearly still processing the unusual theft.
CCTV Reveals All
Like any good mystery, this one has surveillance footage.
When staff reviewed the restaurant’s CCTV, they spotted a woman entering the restaurant with what appeared to be an empty bag.
She headed straight for the toilet without ordering food or even speaking to staff.
Approximately 11 to 12 minutes later — which, let’s be honest, is a suspiciously long time for a quick bathroom break — she emerged with her previously empty bag now noticeably bulging with something.
“She goes into the toilets, and 11 or 12 minutes later she goes out and we can see the bag is now full of something,” Melman explained, strongly believing that the mystery item was none other than the imitation stone basin from the ladies’ bathroom.
Not Your Average Five-Finger Discount
For a restaurant owner of 72 years, Melman has presumably seen his fair share of peculiar customer behavior, but this sink situation takes things to a whole new level.
“I’ve had people steal lots of things over the years – bottles of wine and things like that – but never something like this. This is quite unusual,” he remarked with what seems like impressive composure given the circumstances.
The restaurant features separate male and female facilities, with each individual cubicle boasting its own “nice sink” for diners to wash their hands in — well, except for one cubicle now.
Perhaps the most surprising part of this story isn’t the theft itself, but Melman’s remarkably chill reaction to the whole ordeal.
“I couldn’t believe it. All we could do was laugh,” he said, showing an admirable sense of humor about the situation.
“It cost me around £150, it’s not terrible, what can you do?”
What can you do, indeed — except perhaps invest in bolted-down fixtures.
While sink theft may not be the crime of the century, you have to appreciate the sheer audacity.
It takes a special kind of confidence to walk into a restaurant, dismantle plumbing fixtures, stuff them in your bag, and then casually stroll out the front door.
No word yet on whether local police are pursuing any leads on this unusual case, or if the sink bandit has struck other establishments in the area.
One thing’s for sure — restaurant owners in Altrincham might want to keep a closer eye on their bathroom fixtures.
Editor’s Note: This article is based on reporting from the Manchester Evening News.