A CLYDEBANK bar and restaurant is urging customers to be considerate after 74 diners failed to show up for their pre-booked slots in just one day.

Sixty Ate Bar and Kitchen, based on Dumbarton Road, expressed their disappointment at the “gutting” number of no shows in one weekend - without warning or advance notice.

With the hospitality industry struggling to recover after months of lockdown and strict coronavirus restrictions, the bar’s general manager Madaline Gallagher urged diners to think of the impact of their decisions on staff.

She told the Post: “We’ve been closed for four months and we are a small, independent local business which employs 19 staff.

“We understand plans change but having 74 customers not turn up in one day is disgraceful.

“We increase staff hours in line with the amount of covers we have booked so when you fail to show up for a reservation, it costs us money as we have more staff on shift.

“It’s just gutting to have so many no shows because we have ordered extra stock in and rota’d in extra staff to account for the number of bookings.

“It also means we have to turn customers away when we are fully booked, despite many not showing up.”

Madaline urged customers to think about the impact of their decisions on the livelihoods of those working in the hospitality industry.

She added: “I know it’s not just us and the industry in general is struggling with the same problems we are.

“We’ve employed six extra staff and we’re trying to keep their hours up, but if this problem continues we will have to make some difficult decisions such as cutting back on their hours.

“We are hoping it might level off in the next few weeks but if we do see the same amount of no shows in coming weeks, we will have to look at measures such as implementing a deposit system which is a shame because it’s something we don’t feel we should have to do.

“I would urge people to consider the fact that the livelihoods of our staff are at stake and we do not want to have to cut their hours back or send them home early.

“Please consider the impact of your decisions on the industry.”

The restaurant owners’ plea attracted plenty of sympathy on social media, with one Facebook user commenting: “Shame on those who did not have the respect and manners to call to cancel.”

Another resident commented: “This really disgusts me. I tried booking and was told I couldn’t get in because they are busy. Which is great for business. But to not show up is just the lowest of the low.”