Pretoria - The R1.3 million tab allegedly picked up by a customer at a bar in Brooklyn, Pretoria, that’s been causing a stir on social media platforms this week, is most likely fake or doctored.
This is according to a restaurateur and manager of a restaurant and club at the Times Square Casino, who said he had a hard time believing the veracity of the bill.
The manager, who has been in the business for over 10 years, said a number of red flags popped up for him the moment he looked at what was allegedly bought by the patron.
For one thing, he said the amount of food ordered in comparison to the alcohol did not balance out, and he knew it was odd for most establishments to keep that many bottles of the Ace of Spades Rosé champagne, in particular, on hand, or in their reserves.
In his establishment, a bottle of Ace of Spades Rosé sells for around R26 000 a bottle.
He said even though medium-sized bars typically hold alcohol in the region of that price range, what finally convinced him that the bill was probably fake was the fact it included 20 bottles of Dom Perignon Luminous, which has been out of stock in the country since last year.
“I knew it was bull as soon as they listed the Dom Perignon, and in particular the Luminous bottle, as South Africa hasn’t had that brand from as far back as November.
“We’ve also been trying to restock and it’s yet to arrive this side, so how would they get 20 bottles of it?”
The Pretoria News visited the 012 Lifestyle restaurant to confirm the authenticity of the bill, and the manager at the bar said they had been instructed not to comment, confirm or say anything about that issue.
Meanwhile, social media continues to speculate on the amount splurged, especially after Jerusalema hitmaker Master KG tagged Zimbabwean Prophet Passion Java on the spending spree.
The bill was shared on Twitter and Facebook, and the receipt shows R1 374 945 was spent on mostly booze.
It included 100 bottles of Ace of Spades Rosé champagne, 50 bottles Veuve Rich champagne, 20 bottles of Dom Perignon Luminous champagne, three bottles of Glenfiddich 23 Year Old Whisky, and 13 300ml cans of Coca-Cola.
For food, two platters were ordered costing R550 and R650.
The man tagged for the bill has not posted anything regarding the incident, and instead kept his social media platforms filled with videos and pictures of him spending time with family in the US.
Pretoria News