A restaurant suffered a devastating blow after they were hit with 22 no shows in a single night.
Blues Bar staff were left frustrated and counting the costs after almost two dozen bookings did not bother to show up for their bookings at the popular Plymouth hunt.
A bar manager took to social media to vent their frustration after the catastrophic blow to the restaurant which has become an essential hub for blues lovers in Devon, Plymouth Live reports.
It comes at an already troubling time as businesses across the UK scrape to survive in light of the ever-changing Government guidance on coronavirus.
A Blues Bar spokesperson said on Facebook : " It’s 7.30pm on a Saturday night and so far we have had two tables of five and two tables of six not turn up for their reservation.
“That’s 22 people who just didn’t both to let us know they were not coming.
“We have held these tables in good faith, turned down other bookings and we are now unlikely to fill these tables.
“We are a small business and this has cost us a lot of money tonight. Please, please, if you book a table and can’t make it for whatever reason, just let us know.”
The post has attracted widespread support from fellow businesses and punters alike who also slammed such selfish behaviour in desperate times.
The Blues Bar, in Devon, is in a Tier 1 area with a medium risk alert level.
Under Government coronavirus rules, people are able to mix with different households both indoors and outdoors but only in groups of up to six.
Meanwhile bars and restaurants in Tier 3 areas have seen bookings collapse even though they can stay open as customers are unsure whether they can dine out.
These areas include Liverpool City Region, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire where people are banned from mixing with other households anywhere.
Bookings were been 'decimated' in Greater Manchester this weekend as the region moved into Tier 3, according to businesses.
Michael Clay, chef and co-owner of Elnecot restaurant in Manchester, said bookings were down more 50 per cent compared to last month.
Speaking to Manchester Evening News, he added: " The effect on our business through all of this was a complete decimation of bookings.
"Cancellations coming in thick and fast and a complete uncertainty over the future.
"As usual the messages from the government have been few and far between and clear as mud. This lack of information has left us in limbo and this has been reflected in the bookings.
"People haven't wanted to book in because they have been unsure of whether they can even come out or not."
