Hospitality business owners reveal that two thirds of their festive bookings have been cancelled

Business owners in Glasgow said they have seen parties cancelled due to the rise in Omicron cases and that it is hard to be ‘optimistic’.

On Tuesday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced new advice that only three households should mix in the run up to Christmas Day.

Graham Suttle, managing director of Kained Holdings which owns Lebowskis, The Finnieston and Porter and Rye revealed over the last week, two-thirds of his bookings have been cancelled.

He said: “The announcement has been nothing short of a let-down, yet again.

“It’s a bit of a slap in the face. Two-thirds of bookings have been cancelled. That’s primarily because people don’t really know what’s acceptable and what’s not acceptable, they don’t really know the details.

“It’s not good enough for a government to update an industry may or may not be closing.

“What about people’s travel plans? They’ve bought their turkey already. It’s just representative of what the last three years have been for everybody.”

“£100m for the self-isolation fund and £100m for the biggest employer in Scotland? That shows you the level the government puts the hospitality industry in terms of importance.

“Thirty per cent of our annual income comes from Christmas time. It comes from parties and large gatherings.

“We don’t have that now and the question we all have now is: is it worth us staying open during the Christmas period? But hospitality will always find a way to get through like we always do.

“It’s important for people to support their locals, it’s important for people to get out to restaurants and eat out in smaller groups.

“Everybody just needs to stay safe and stay sensible but enjoy yourself - it’s Christmas. Let’s get out and celebrate.”

Alex Riches operates St Lukes and the Winged Ox in the east end of Glasgow where ‘countless’ bookings have been cancelled.

Mr Riches said: “If we’re going back to two metre distancing, nobody able to order at the bar, table service only, maximum three households, it’s going to decimate festive business for most I believe.

“It’s difficult to step backwards. £100m sounds like a big number to anyone on the outside but when you look at the knock-on effect to every bar and restaurant and everyone who delivers to them, they’ve already made stock to last through Christmas.

“They’ll still be sitting on this stock. The knock-on effect goes right the way back through the supply chain. The best thing to do would be for everyone to come out and support their local businesses.

“Be mindful of the new restrictions as they come into place. Our staff are still very much on top of everything. We’re still here and ready to serve everybody to make it as safe and wholesome an environment as possible.”

John Irvine, the owner of the Vinyl Bar in Glasgow, said it is ‘hard to be optimistic’ about the coming months.

Mr Irvine said: “The measures which are damaging hospitality are again disproportionate and discriminatory.

“My bar opened two years ago, and we’ve had to close for half of that. I don’t want handouts from the government, I want to see our bar established and flourishing.

“It seems every time we start making progress, there’s another setback related to the pandemic. The latest guidelines have people cancelling Xmas nights en masse.

“Many establishments will be struggling to remain in business after new year, affecting the livelihoods of thousands. The money we would make at this time is crucial for seeing us through the leaner months ahead. It’s hard to be optimistic.”

Ann Kelly, the manager of Lorimers in Bishopton, Renfrewshire said she has had to cancel staff shifts due to the number of cancellations the bar has had.

Ms Kelly said: “I have had loads of cancellations for works Christmas bookings.

“I have had cancel shifts for staff because we aren’t busy enough due to all the cancellations. Making a suggestion like they did has basically crippled our industry again.

“They would have been better just closing us down as the amount of money that is being wasted on food that now needs to be thrown out is disgusting.”

A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said: “We know just how hard the recent public health advice is for many businesses and individuals but public health is of paramount importance given the spread of the new Omicron variant.

“It is more important than ever that everyone follows the essential public health advice to keep us all safe.

“Following extensive work to reprioritise existing budgets across government, we have allocated an additional £100 million to ensure the Self-Isolation Support Grant is available to those who need it, alongside a £100 million financial package to support eligible businesses experiencing cancellations during this key trading period.

“We are also seeking urgent clarification from the UK Government on what additional resources will be provided to the Scottish Government from the Treasury to help mitigate the impact that this new variant has on jobs, business and our economy.”