Restaurant Souvenirs: Why Nearly One in Four Diners Steals Something from the Table

Knives, candles, toilet-roll holders with their screws and wall plugs, and even thermostats have all reportedly disappeared from restaurants. The list comes from complaints by French Michelin-starred establishments, but the habit is not confined to France. A Quebec restaurateur recently said a side table, a painting and a thermostat had gone missing, while British operators describe similar losses.

At Wilson restaurant in Bristol, owner Jane Ostle told the BBC that the mother-of-pearl spoons used to serve herb sorbet are a particular target. “Every few months I have to buy another 28.” The thefts may seem like a throwback to the era when slipping a restaurant ashtray into a pocket counted as a minor crime, yet attractive tableware still appears to awaken the same impulses.

Research by hospitality supplier Nisbets found that 27% of British adults have taken an item from a restaurant or bar. Psychiatrist Dr Claudia Aimerich said the motive often has little to do with needing the object itself. The excitement, she explained, can turn an item from a particular restaurant into a trophy or a reminder of an experience.

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Every few months I have to buy another 28.

A sense of entitlement can also play a role. Guests who spend a large amount may feel they deserve something small in return, while others are drawn to the feeling of getting away with an act they know they should not commit. A Guardian columnist has admitted to owning a small spoon she is sure she did not buy.

Restaurants have tried different responses, including putting prices on objects and confronting suspected spoon thieves. In 2012, chef Tom Aikens caused a stir by confronting a diner. The Mexican restaurant chain Wahaca has taken a more creative approach by offering an amnesty, although the supplied article ends before explaining the details.

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Often it is not about wanting or needing the object itself.