Many bookings lost as Covid numbers peaked but is normality resuming?
Some restaurants on the Island have reported experiencing up to 50 per cent of bookings being cancelled in recent weeks as Covid rates peaked.
Coupled with a lacklustre festive period, with many Christmas parties cancelled too, the hospitality sector has faced a difficult start to 2022.
That's despite the Isle of Man dropping all legal restrictions and moving to dealing with Coronavirus as endemic at the start of April.
'When you cancel you don't just cancel on us, you cancel on the producers and farmers as well.'
Pippa Lovell, Chef and Owner of Versa in Port Erin, says for a small business even losing just one table can have a big impact:
Many restaurants in the UK have been introducing cancellation fees but Pippa says it's something she's hesitant to do:
'It's been a massive hit. We saw over a million pounds in lost turnover between two lockdowns.'
Meanwhile, the director of two popular eateries in Douglas is hopeful that more people will start eating out now that the Island has moved to an endemic phase.
The restaurateur claims he lost more than £1 million pounds due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Jaks and Barbary Coast were both hit when businesses were forced to close and since then, as people’s habits have changed.
Andrew Gibbs says he's now noticed an increase in the number of people visiting his restaurants but things are not back to 'normal':
It's a view shared by Kyle Porter - the owner of The Lodge at Glen Helen - who says he's hoping to take advantage of the Easter Weekend:
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