Video clip of the brazen grab-and-go highlights petty theft concerns, racial tensions on social media, and shock that Quiznos is still open.
The latest scene out of Hawthorne, California, doesn’t involve a major crime ring, celebrity scandal, or high-stakes police chase. Instead, it’s a $37 sandwich order at a Quiznos — and a customer who decided paying was optional. A security clip shared by @ppv_tahoe NEWS shows a man lingering at the counter long after his food was bagged, tapping his phone repeatedly on the payment terminal as if struggling to complete the transaction. But the motions, while convincing at first glance, were all theater.
The footage, captured from two different cameras inside the nearly empty store, shows the man calmly cycling through fake payment attempts while the single employee behind the counter waits politely. The bag of food sits right in front of him, untouched, as he times her movements and watches for the right opening. It takes less than a minute for the moment to arrive.
When the employee briefly shifts her attention down the counter, the man makes his move — a swift grab of the bag followed by a steady walk toward the exit. He doesn’t sprint. He doesn’t panic. In fact, in the final frames of the video, he flashes a wide, satisfied grin as he leaves the restaurant entirely unbothered. Employees later confirmed that he never paid for the order…