How an Ohio restaurant food challenge led to a dine-and-dash incident

Two food challenge contestants left this Celina diner without paying and a whole lot of wasted food.

The Willow Restaurant, located at 1011 N. Main St., has been a family-operated diner since 1951. Over the years, the restaurant has gained a loyal community in the small city of Celina, Ohio, and it’s not just because of its homey feel. Diners come near and far to attempt the competitive challenge that is The Willow Warrior.

The challenge, now in its third variation, consists of two people attempting to eat two bags of Burgers, 80 Chicken Nuggets, two Big Daddy Fries, and two Quart Shakes in 30 minutes. Winners eat free and take home the jackpot, while losers must pay $70, and the pot increases by $20.

On July 9, with a Jackpot of $1060, the Willow Warrior Challenge faced a peculiar pair of contestants. The man and woman attempted to eat all the required food, but the man quickly said they were done and declined the standard finishing photo that all contestants normally partake in.

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When it came time to pay, the man left an expired card, and the pair left the restaurant. The restaurant took to social media to try to identify the two dine-and-dashers, and the comments were quickly flooded with alleged theories and accusations.

Fortunately, the culprits were identified, and the restaurant handled the situation accordingly.

“I can say I never thought that we had so many private investigators in Celina,” the restaurant owner posted on Facebook. “I have no words for the amount of support we have from my hometown and also surrounding towns. It’s nothing short of a blessing to me and my family.”

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