North Wales chef warns ‘no-shows’ could jeopardise restaurant industry already suffering from coronavirus crisis

A North Wales chef has warned that diners who fail to turn up for their reservations are putting the restaurant industry at risk.

Si Toft, head chef at The Dining Room in Abersoch, said the hospitality industry was already struggling from the impact of the coronavirus, which saw businesses forced to close their doors due to lockdown restrictions.

He has now joined other Welsh restaurateurs to back a campaign called #nomorenoshows to stop the sector from losing more income.

It’s been claimed that no-shows cost businesses in the country an estimated £540m a year, which representatives said could prove just as crippling as the pandemic itself.

The industry is already facing the prospect of having to cut 30,000 jobs because of Covid-19, and with most bars and restaurants currently running at reduced capacity to honour social distancing, leading figures said just a small number of no-shows could put many out of business.

Si Toft, of The Dining Room, North Wales says: “I have a six month season, of which July and August account for about 70 per cent of my turnover.

“We scrape by in the visitor-led areas anyway and we’ve just lost half the peak season: so we are looking at doing the remaining six weeks at about half/two thirds capacity.

“So to be honest, if people really need reminding that now’s not the time to no show on us the industry’s doomed anyway.”

The #nomorenoshows campaign has been launched by Cardiff-based media promoter and journalist Meryl Cubley.

She said the aim was to raise awareness of the issue among consumers – and hopefully spark a change in behaviour across Wales.

She said: “I think some people haven’t perhaps thought it through – what happens when you don’t turn up for a restaurant booking – especially now with all the extra preparations they are making to stop the spread of Covid-19.

“Restaurants and other hospitality-based venues have huge outgoings.

“Many are opening because they have a set number of bookings that day and so they know they can pay those outgoings.

“If you don’t turn up, they can’t pay their outgoings – and they will close down.”

Meryl said hospitality industry leaders, business owners and workers from across Wales will be posting the
#nomorenoshows message on Twitter, calling on people to do their bit by sharing the image and following three simple steps:

1. Plans change. That’s cool. Just let us know. 2.Re-book – we still love you. 3. Encourage
friends and family to do the same.