Restaurants face losses as customers take items as souvenirs

Restaurants worldwide are facing systematic losses due to customers taking items as souvenirs, a phenomenon linked to psychological ownership. These thefts range from small cutlery and glassware to large decorative items and even bathroom fixtures.

In Athens, a well-known tavern was forced to change its high-quality knife designs after significant quantities went missing from the kitchen. International examples highlight the scale of the issue: in France, a customer reportedly removed an entire toilet paper holder including screws, while another took soil from a potted plant. In London, chef Gordon Ramsay reported the loss of 477 maneki-neko figurines from his Lucky Cat restaurant, totaling over £2,000 in a single week. Additionally, the Le Gavroche restaurant lost a handmade sculpture made of cutlery during a memorial dinner in 2023.