Is this a new type of credit card scam in Houston?

So we’ve been going to Gyu Kaku in the Memorial-ish area weekly for 4 years (not during covid tho)as our child attends gymnastics class nearby. So in the last 3 visits; twice we’ve had the same weird credit card thing happen to us. It seems pretty scammy especially since the manager we spoke to last night could care less. So here’s how it goes…and this has happened to us twice, in the exact same way. They came up to our table with a tablet to ring us up, we add tip right there and they swiped our card. Couple seconds pass and the girl was like oh your card is declined…panic and confusion mode kicks in and it’s like hey here’s another credit card, something must be wrong whatever, I’ll figure it out. So they take the second card to the register, swipe it bring the bill for you to sign. Well the first swipe on the first card has actually gone through, tip included (remember this). So at this point you have two charges on two separate cards. So the first time this happens I didn’t realize until a couple days later when I see the charge. I think oh must’ve been a connection error, I’ll handle it with my bank. Well it takes hours to explain to two different credit card companies that you were in fact double charged, once on each separate card. So let’s say I didn’t forget about this experience because I had to spend hours fighting a 130$ charge, almost not worth it, right… So last night we’re having dinner at Gyu, a couple weeks have passed since the first incident. SAME thing happens, but my mom is with us this time and I’m a little distracted as the decline at the table tablet happens. My husband gives the waitress another credit card. At this point my phone is going off notifying me the first charge went through. I call for the manager, show him hey look I have been charged twice. Clear as day on my banking app. I ask him to please cancel one charge and bring me a receipt for confirmation. Easy enough…he tells me no, he doesn’t have to cancel anything it will automatically fall off my account. I then tell him hey we’re loyal customers and this is actually the second time this has happened and last time the charge posted and I had to deal with the bank for hours. He could care less.

The more and more we think about it, it seems like a scam. Since you add in the tip at the table and it charges the whole amount right then and there, it’s a great way to get double tipped. The clever part is getting people to make the charges on two separate cards…it sucks trying to show two different credit card companies you were double charged. It’s a pain and most people will drop it and let it go instead of spending hours on the phone.

Is this a thing? Or have we unfortunately just had bad luck with poorly trained employees and a could care less manager?