Restaurant owners are complaining that customers are booking tables and not turning up.
Yesterday was the first day indoor dining was allowed, it was stopped during Level 5 in October and November.
One Dublin City restaurant took and confirmed 18 bookings, for which nobody turned up.
Restaurants Association of Ireland chief executive Adrian Cummins says that is just not fair: “It is disrespectful by the consumer that they did not advise the restaurant that they were not going to turn up.
“These were multiple bookings, this was not just one party because there is a maximum of six people.”
He said that we seem to be in a phase where people are booking multiple restaurants and not turning up. He is asking people to work with restaurants surrounding bookings.
⚠️Update-No Shows
Restaurant Owner (54 seater) text me late last night to highlight the fact he had 18 noshow customers on his first evening back open
All guests had confirmed their arrival when phoned in the morning
“We had not requested deposits due to the times we are in”— Adrian Cummins 🇮🇪🇪🇺 (@adriancummins) December 5, 2020
Easing restrictions
It comes as people are being urged to remain cautious and stick to Covid guidelines as restaurants and gastro pubs across the country reopen this weekend.
The Taoiseach has admitted the easing of Covid restrictions could go either way as the Republic of Ireland enters Level 3 restrictions.
Micheál Martin said it is largely up to personal responsibility for people to limit any spike in cases that will result from the next few weeks.
It comes as today is the first full day of restaurants and pubs that serve food being allowed to open.
Mr Martin believes people will stick to the guidelines over Christmas.
He said: “A lot of people are adhering to the guidelines, it's been very difficult for people.
"I think people are very conscious over Christmas, this can go either way but my sense of people's commitment and personal behaviour is that people are strongly working to make sure that they or their family don't get the virus.”
