While hundreds of venues experienced a cull of bookings due to new guidance introduced as a result of rising Omicron cases, many owners have been taken aback at how determined customers have been to support local hospitality.
In a recent announcement, the First Minister encouraged companies to cancel their Christmas parties, and, as a result, the hospitality industry has been hit with hundreds of cancellations.
Many restaurants, hotels and bars have been left with availability at their venues with some losing thousands of pounds in the run up to Christmas, which, for many, is the busiest time of the year.
However, various firms have experienced acts of kindness from their customers with numerous reporting that some are still paying for their bookings in full despite cancelling their tables.
Hospitality support needed
One of the restaurants affected is the The Selkie located on Exchange Street near the city centre in Dundee.
Owner Kelly Anne Fairweather took various calls and answered numerous emails from customers cancelling their bookings in the lead up to Christmas as a result of the announcement.
However, she feels “lucky” as no one has asked for their deposit back which means the business hasn’t been as badly impacted as it could have.
Instead, customers have either moved their bookings or will receive gift vouchers to use at a later date.
Kelly Anne Fairweather, said: “When the First Minister did her announcement a week past Friday we were expecting to make around £8,000 based on the bookings and we made £1,700.
“That hit us really hard and definitely affected us.
“I think when the announcement came people just panicked. And we feel it more in the daytime now with everyone working from home again.
“Our policy has always been if you need your deposit back, gift vouchers, change your booking you can do that. But not a single person has asked for their money back.
“We’ve been quite lucky. The Selkie has got a really good community and the customers are brilliant.”
Earlier this year The Selkie also handed out free meals to families who were struggling.
Acts of kindness
Another restaurant experiencing this same kindness from its customers is the Cherrybank Inn located in Perth.
After having what they described as a “tsunami” of cancellations from big groups, the team took to social media to make the local community aware of their availability due to the number of bookings that disappeared overnight.
Since their post the Cherrybank Inn has experienced an immense amount of support from the Perthshire community.
Posting on social media on Wednesday December 15, the post read: “Incredible gesture today from a booking. Cancelled a table of 27 people but wanted to pay the full amount upfront and move their booking to next year. thank you v much”
Further to this, by Friday December 17 the Cherrybank Inn announced they had turned the situation around and were fully booked for the weekend.
324 covers down
Also in Dundee, the owner of Porters Bar & Restaurant, Kevin Webster, outlined at one point his business was down 324 covers as a result of Ms Sturgeon’s announcement.
Numbers were dropping by the hour during what should be the firm’s busiest time of the year.
However he too has experienced kindness from his customers and says he “will always remember” those who helped support them.
Taking to social media he said: “A company cancelled this morning two hours before their meal and called us back up to pay in full as they felt terrible! They won’t be forgotten when this blows over! Amazing kind gesture at this ridiculously, unsettling time.
“They were supposed to be coming in for a meal on Wednesday. They had sent their pre-orders in.
“Numbers had dropped from the original booking – it was for 12 originally but then dropped to six – but they were still wanting to come.
“We got an email in the morning to say they were going to be cancelling. We always take a deposit at Christmas for large bookings, so they had paid this.
“Then we received a phone call a couple of hours later saying they would like to pay the balance in full.
“We won’t forget that and we’re going to invite them in for a meal and do something special for them. They went above and beyond and at times like this, that’s what you need.”
Kevin outlined that other customers have also been sending supportive messaged during this difficult period to raise spirits.
He added: “We’re probably not in a bad position compared to a lot of businesses but it’s so difficult to comprehend what’s going on.
“It was supposed to be a record-breaking month for us and it’s been pretty much cut in half.”
He adds that having the deposits from cancelled bookings will help provide a cushion for the business and paying bills in the midst of uncertainty.
“We don’t want to keep the deposits, but unless we get some clarity on what support we are going to get, we just don’t know where we are going.
“The advice is so vague from the First Minister, she has let the whole hospitality industry down, in my opinion.
“We have lost 324 covers since she made her announcement. That’s thousands of pounds for us at this time of year.
“We’ve got anxious staff now. The whole thing has just imploded at the most critical time.”
