A CHINESE takeaway has shared hilarious footage of how it pranked customers into thinking it was open when it was shut.
The Rice Bowl in Derry, Northern Ireland, shut for a month so the owner could get married.
But rather than put up a standard “closed” sign, a giant photo of a customer entering the takeaway was placed over the shopfront.
The owner – known only as Mr Chang – came up with the wheeze after an elderly neighbour said she didn’t feel safe without his customers about.
Mr Chang, 44, returned from his nuptials to discover a month’s-worth of very confused – and hungry – customers on his CCTV system.
So he decided the share the best of the clips on social media.
The clips were captioned: “The award goes to the lady that tried to look through a window that is really not a window.”
The series of amusing clips show baffled customers scratching their heads as they try to gain entry to the shop.
In one instance, a woman in a checked coat is seen attempting to push the fake door.
After getting nowhere, she then attempts to peer through the false window and pushes her full weight against the wall.
Gemma Ireland responded: “There was a sign as well can’t believe people actually tried to get in thinking someone was standing there.”
Ciara Curran added: “So funny lol.”
And Simon Morrin said: “Haha do you actually do any cooking or stare at that camera all night?”
Speaking today, Mr Chang said: “It all started of in October of 2019 when I had to close my business for a few days because I was not feeling too well.
“On my return to work, an elderly flower shop owner next to my business came out to greet me and she said that she was worried about me.
“She said that she was frightened, because of the lack of the people coming and going when I was closed and she didn’t like to be on her own and it was darker outside.
She said she was considering closing her flower shop while I was away.
“The problem I faced was I didn’t want to her her I would be closing up for a month in December in order to get married. I just didn’t have the heart.
“That’s when I thought, I really have to do something or else Josie will close the flower shop when I go to get married.
“So I just put the sign on the shutter, kept the lights on and left for the airport to get married.
“I was happy to see her shop still open when I returned.
“I only had a look at a few hours of the videos last night. There is a full month of recording and some of them are priceless.
“I think there was a lot of laughter and a lot of misery!”
