I give them a month until they buckle from the welfare moms with eight children start coming in three times a day, every day, and pay a penny each time for $100 worth of food.
Even if people pay, you still have to watch out for the employees who are only making part time min wage. Wont be long before one of the employees pockets $1,000 bucks from the register and says "Sorry boss, nobody paid for their lunch today"
That happens to you too, I have been in that exact situation and I have heard the story a hundred times before, for some reason its short every single time.
Actually, the reason I don't like the "everyone chip in an equal amount" is, when some people get a salad, but some other freeloaders get a steak, 2-3 alcoholic drinks, dessert, appetizer, and expect the salad folks to subsidize them. A couple of times at these functions, I did not eat and just said "sorry, not really hungry, now."
The only option is to out-spend them so they have to subsidize you: Yes I will have the steak and lobster tail with a shrimp appetizer and a nice glass of ....