NATOMAS, Calif. (KTXL) — A California nail salon owner said a group of young women who left without paying adds insult to injury as small businesses struggle to make ends meet during the pandemic. 

“One of my staff wanted a picture (as) a souvenir that we actually work outdoors,” Top Coat Nail Salon and Spa owner Lui Nguyen told KTX. 

The photograph shows a group of young women getting their nails done on the day the shop reopened under the governor’s new COVID-19 guidelines. 

“Some in the 20s and some in teens, like 14, came in to get their nails done casually, no issue,” Nguyen said. “They were non-threatening. They were just average people.”

But he said they took off without paying. 

“It’s just mentally sad because, you know, you want to support the community,” Nguyen said.

Nguyen, who owns several businesses and is the president of the Sacramento Nail Association, said being outdoors presents new challenges.

“Now that we can’t be inside, there’s no barrier, there’s no boundary. They can just do anything and walk away,” Nguyen said. “What am I going to do, stop them? I can’t.”

While he said he didn’t file a police report because he believes some of the young women in the photograph seem underage, he was hoping it doesn’t happen again. 

“Two hours to open, to offer services to the customer and have them do that to us. At some point you say enough is enough, maybe we won’t open tomorrow,” Nguyen said. 

According to Nguyen, the group left a tab of more than $100.