VIDALIA — They came in, but they weren’t looking for pizza, and even though they left unsatisfied, the police still want to find the three men who tried to rob the Carter Street Pizza Hut Monday night.

The Vidalia Police received a call at 9:34 p.m. that an attempted robbery had taken place at the family restaurant, Vidalia Police Chief Arthur Lewis said.

Three males in dark, hooded clothes had entered the business while customers were still there and lingered at a booth, apparently casing the business, watching the employees as they closed up for the night.

One got up, went to the restroom, came back.

As the last customers left, two of the men went into the parking lot, apparently checking to make sure no one was outside.

When the two re-entered, they approached the employee at the cash register. One of the offenders displayed a gun strapped to his side.

“They told the employee to go back to the safe area, but the employee just ran and escaped out the back area,” Lewis said. “The other employees also left out the back.”

With the employees gone, the would-be robbers were apparently at a loss for what to do, and Lewis said they looked around for a moment but didn’t take anything.

The men left the scene in a gray, full-size Lincoln Town Car and witnesses told police they drove off in the direction of Natchez, Lewis said.

The police did not receive the call about the attempted robbery until after it was over because all of the employees had left their phones inside the business as they fled, Lewis said.

Anyone with information about the crime should contact Vidalia Investigators Randy Stockman or Brandon Gremillion at 318-336-5254.