A Massachusetts restaurant owner pursued two teen dine-and-dashers before he allegedly assaulted them and whipped out his gun, which left a girl fearing for her life.

Nadim Kashouh, 62, allegedly smacked the girl, 17, using his elbow and struck Javonnie Lee, 18, on Friday after they darted from his Springfield restaurant, Nadim’s Downtown Mediterranean Grill, without covering their $92 tab, the Boston Globe reported.

Liberia-born Kashouh, who moved to the US in 1990 after fleeing war-torn Lebanon, and another employee chased down the teens to a nearby convenience store, according to a police report seen by the Globe.

The teens, who told cops they tried to pay, took off after their card was declined twice, the Globe reported. 

Kashouh ordered the pair to return to the restaurant to cover their check and allegedly grabbed the girl’s phone, Ryan Walsh, of the Springfield Police Department, said, according to WGGB.

Kashouh then allegedly struck the two diners, leaving the girl with a bruise, but the commotion didn’t end there – as a group of seven suddenly gathered.

“As a larger group gathered, Kashouh is alleged to have pointed his firearm in the direction of the group,” Walsh said.

“Kashouh stated he did so in self-defense.”

But the terrified girl told cops “she believed she was going to lose her life” when she saw the gun.

Kashouh faces two charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and counts of armed robbery with a firearm, assault and battery. He had an active license to carry the two guns registered to him.

The armed robbery charge comes with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. 

But despite facing life behind bars, Kashouh has once again proclaimed his innocence as he appeared in court Monday.

“Mr. Kashouh was grateful for the opportunity to appear in court today and respond to the allegations against him. He maintains his innocence and that his actions were taken in self-defense,” his spokesperson said in a Facebook statement.

“As this matter moves through the legal process, Mr. Kashouh looks forward to the opportunity for the facts and circumstances surrounding the incident to be fully addressed.”

The restaurant owner had just celebrated the 26th anniversary of his Springfield establishment, receiving a proclamation from Mayor Domenic Sarno to celebrate the occasion.

September 10 was declared “Nadim’s Mediterranean Restaurant and Grill Day” in his honor.

Kashouh opened Nadim’s Downtown Mediterranean Grill in 2000 – a decade after he landed in the US. 

He was born in Monrovia, Liberia, before moving to Lebanon as a child in 1974.

“My father owned a hotel in Lebanon, and every summer, I was cheap labor for him,” he told Mass Live earlier this month.

“I was always working — from serving in the dining room to greeting the guests checking in and bringing them to their rooms.”

He relocated to the US when the civil war broke out — and initially sold Mitsubishi cars and jewelry before entering the restaurant industry.

Kashouh has become a respected figure within the Springfield restaurant community and those who know him have been quick to jump to his defense.

“I have known Nadim to be respectful, fair, calm, and incredibly hardworking,” Maureen Pinette, who worked with him between 2012 and 2014, wrote on Facebook. 

“I’ve watched him deal with difficult situations and difficult people, and I have never known him to be someone who simply loses his cool.  

“I see so much of Nadim in both of his children—the love, the loyalty, the work ethic, and the way they show up for the people around them. 

“I’ve also watched Nadim give to people and to his community without needing recognition for it. He has done things for people simply because they needed help.”

Others have been less sympathetic, calling for him to face the full force of the law.

“Because he has a great business, well known in Springfield doesn’t mean you can commit crimes,” Qualina Lewis, a local resident, told WWLP.

“Threatening with a gun, someone could’ve lost their lives. Lock him up.”

Meanwhile, the two teens will be slapped with a charge of defrauding a restaurant – and they face a jail sentence of up to two years and a fine up to $600.

Some restaurants have shamed dine-and-dashers for their exploits.

Last month, Zoey Aldahash, who owns the Sweet Zoey Mediterranean restaurant in Casper, Wyoming, posted an image online of a party of four who had racked up a $130 tab — and had bolted without paying.