Let’s assume a “customer” orders, the food is prepared, the “customer” can’t/won’t pay, the food is not delivered, and therefore has to be thrown away. Since the “customer” has received anything of value, the restaurant can’t file a criminal complaint. The manager was probably tired of taking a dead loss on food that had to be pitched, due to jerks he/she can’t charge criminally.
I wonder if some “customers” figure on getting free food when members of their group work the counter in corporate restaurants... I’ve seen this in action in other contexts.
That’s a reasonable interpretation of the data.