South Shields restaurant boss makes plea to diners after 18 bookings fail to show up

Popular Indian street food venue Delhi 6 on Ocean Road reopened on Sunday, July 5 as lockdown restrictions were lifted across the UK.

Due to social distancing measures the restaurant is operating at a reduced capacity, with customers required to book a table in advance.

But owner Shah Lalon Amin has revealed that in the last seven days a total of 18 bookings have not shown up for their reservation – leaving him an estimated £1,000 out of pocket.

Over the weekend a booking of two tables of six failed to show up without informing the restaurant in advance.

Lalon had turned away other diners, ordered additional stock and employed extra staff for the evening.

Now he has urged customers to cancel their booking if they can’t make it and to consider the ‘financial impact’ that no-shows have on an already struggling hospitality sector.

“We’ve had a lot of people booking and not showing up,” he said.

“Cancellations are part and parcel of the business, but when someone books and doesn’t bother to to let us know it has a significant financial impact on an already dilapidated restaurant industry.”

Dehli 6 is not alone in suffering the financial impact of no-shows. In an outburst at the weekend, celebrity chef Tom Kerridge slammed customers who made reservations at his restaurant but then failed to show up, highlighting how such behaviour put jobs at risk.

Lalon said: “With the new measures we are operating with only 38 seats, rather than 48 – and every one of those 38 seats really counts.

"Based on the number of bookings we have, we increase stock and take on staff.

"We’ve lost around £1,000 in the last seven days since we reopened through people not showing up.”

Throughout the pandemic staff at Delhi 6 delivered 1,000 free meals to elderly and vulnerable residents.

Earlier this month he called on residents to support their local businesses.

He added: “The hospitality industry has already taken a massive hit.

“We have been lucky to keep all of our staff on post-covid, but it’s a massive gamble for us. We want people to support the industry and to try to understand the massive financial impact that not turning up has.

“It’s understandable if people need to cancel but would just have the courtesy to call.”

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