Diners should be happy to pay deposits when they book because no-shows are the last straw in this stricken sector
This week I have finally returned to writing about eating in restaurants, and if there’s one thing the experience confirmed for me it is that the hospitality industry needs our kindness. As I explain in today’s column, I’ve decided that, for the foreseeable future, that there will be no negative reviews. If I come across a duff place, I’ll simply chalk it up to experience and move on to somewhere better.
It’s an acknowledgement that the restaurant sector is on its knees. At the best of times, even the most successful businesses operate like fragile financial conveyor belts. They need a constant flow of cash in one end from diners so they can keep paying rent, suppliers and staff at the other. These are not the best of times. The lockdown destroyed any cash reserves, and social distancing has taken a massive bite out of their income, which has not been matched by a drop in overheads.
Related: UK fast-food and coffee chains cut prices as VAT relief comes into effect
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