I've only had one user dispute what I'm saying. The users arguing above seem to agree anyone left at a table is now 100% responsible for the bill even if they asked for their own tab and only were responsible for 10% of the entire thing.

They are wrong.

They don't work in the industry nor understand how we avoid this stuff.

When I have a party where one person asks for a separate tab when I ring in their stuff it is rung up on the same table as guest #2.

Guest 2 will have a $100 tab, guest #1 (even though it's 19 people) will have a $1,900 tab.

Neither tab is responsible for the other.

Should guest 2 take off and forget to pay guest 1 will likely just cover it even though we won't force them to.

If all of guest #1 takes off guest #2 will never cover it.

We also store credit cards so if you leave you still pay, we just don't get a tip on your tip line.

I could look for a source, but years in the industry are industry standards regardless of whatever laws you try to pull out of your ass.

Legal mumbo jumbo may hold up in court months later, it doesn't on a Friday night when a group of drunks are arguing about a big tab.

Legally others here might be right, but legally right on reddit means nothing in the real world if the police don't care and bars have a system in place to prevent this.