Businesses are having to turn down bookings as employee numbers remain low following the pandemic and Brexit
“We used to be able to do 26 (people for a Christmas party booking) but we absolutely can’t do that now. The max we can do now is 10,” said the York restaurant’s owner, Clarrie O’Callaghan.
The shortage means that anyone who called to make a reservation for a larger number of people has been turned away.
“Independent restaurants are all in the same boat: we’re having to limit numbers to ensure customers get the best service.”
The restaurant has five chefs and six front-of-house staff, but needs one or two more chefs and two more front-of-house workers. It is not alone in suffering what is being called an “existential threat” to the hospitality industry.