Chef Dean Banks stands against no-shows
The recent shock closure of Simon Wood's Manchester restaurant shows that the industry still hangs in a delicate balance, with operators contending with soaring costs and rapidly slimming margins.
Yesterday's announcement came mere days after Woods called out diners who didn't turn up to a chef's table booking, leaving him unable to resell the restaurant's highest-earning covers.
An industry at breaking point
In response, restaurateur and MasterChef runner-up Dean Banks has supported Woods, speaking about how no-shows can be the breaking point of an industry already facing so many challenges.
"No-shows have been the bane of my life since opening my first restaurant," says Banks. "After trying many different systems to combat the problem, people will always find a way to get around it – from using fake accounts, blocking cards or claiming fraudulent payments, then leaving negative reviews online that they were charged no-show fees. Why is it that the restaurant world is looked at so differently to other industries? If you book a train, a flight or the theatre and you miss it, you pay.
"Just this week, I saw a post from Simon Wood about a table no-showing for his chef's table experience, leaving him no time to rebook it, and just today the same restaurant has sadly announced its closure," adds the chef.
"Though no-shows themselves can't be purely to blame for a restaurant's closure, with the government's mismanagement of the industry during these difficult times, every penny counts – and sometimes a group booking not showing up can become the tipping point which could close your restaurant.
"Restaurants simply ask for you to let us know 48 hours before your meal if you can't make it so we can resell your table. It's good manners, and my mum always taught me manners are free."