They will not lose a cent of business.
The place is packed every day.
And also their customers are not really individuals - they are firms: banks, law firms, consulting firms, etc.
If I were a banker taking out 10 clients for a steak, am I going to care about this one deadbeat's sob story and change my plans? Not in the slightest.
Will the clients, who are getting a free meal on my firm's expense line, care at all about this deadbeat's sob story either? No chance.
New Yorkers know that people scam restaurants all the time.
All while wolfing down the prime steaks and toasting each other for the latest bank fee they put over on everyone.