Ep 12. Cover Charge
- TV-G
- March 24, 2014
- 21 min
In Mystery Diners season 5 episode 12, titled "Cover Charge," the Mystery Diners team is tasked with investigating a nightclub in Houston, Texas. The owner, Mike, is concerned that his employees might not be following his strict policy of charging a cover fee to every customer who enters the club. Mike suspects that his employees might be pocketing the cover charges instead of depositing the money into the business account. He also suspects that his bartenders might be over-pouring drinks and stealing liquor, leading to a loss of revenue.
The Mystery Diners team sends in two undercover operatives - Meg and Rob - to pose as customers at the nightclub. Meg is tasked with keeping track of how many customers are charged a cover fee at the entrance, while Rob is assigned to keep an eye on the bartenders and their pouring techniques.
As Meg enters the club, she notices that the doorman doesn't ask her for a cover charge. Instead, he greets her with a smile and waves her through. Meg quickly counts how many customers are already inside the club and realizes that there are more people than there are cover charges. As the night wears on, Meg keeps a careful count of every customer who enters the club and how much they are charged. Her suspicions are confirmed as she finds several instances of customers being allowed in without paying the cover fee.
Meanwhile, Rob has positioned himself at the bar and is observing the bartenders. He notices that one of the bartenders, Jordan, is consistently over-pouring drinks for certain customers, which leads to wasted liquor. After a few drinks, Rob strikes up a conversation with Jordan and discovers that he has been pocketing some of the cover charges, along with a cut from the over-poured drinks.
As Meg and Rob compile their evidence, they present it to the owner, Mike. Mike is shocked and disappointed in his employees, and he immediately fires Jordan and the doorman for not following the club's policies. He also takes immediate steps to tighten security and ensure that every customer is charged a cover fee.
In the end, the Mystery Diners team helps Mike to identify and eliminate the problem of lost revenue. With their help, Mike can be confident that his business is being run in an honest and efficient manner and that his customers are being treated fairly.