Vine & Fire, a restaurant in Liverpool that opened just three months ago, has issued a plea after 31 people failed to turn up for their reservations on June 21. Owner and chef Josh Stanton, who opened the Mediterranean small plates venue on St Johns Road in March, said the no-shows hit the small business particularly hard.
Owner's heartfelt plea
In an Instagram post, Vine & Fire wrote: "Just a gentle note to say it's really hard when people don't turn up for their booking without letting us know. Today alone, we had a few big tables that never showed up - adding up to 20 people in total." An update later that day confirmed the total had risen to 31 no-shows. The post continued: "This is really disappointing. For a small business like ours, every booking matters so much. Empty seats hit us harder than you might realised."
Industry support and possible solutions
The plea received widespread support from customers and fellow business owners. Kraft Burger, also based in Crosby, commented: "Sorry to hear this, completely understand how frustrated you are. We operate a 'no show' policy via our reservation system and charge £10 per head if the table fails to turn up without letting us know." In response, Vine & Fire said they would look into implementing a similar policy to solve the problem.
Customer reactions
Customers showed solidarity, with one diner stating: "We were in this evening and the food was great and the service was top notch. Whoever the selfish so and so's were, they missed out." Another added: "How disappointing, we arrived, enjoyed and left satisfied, full and happily drunk."
About Vine & Fire
Vine & Fire opened in early March in Crosby, about twenty minutes from Liverpool City Centre. The menu features Mediterranean small plates, slightly larger than typical tapas, including stuffed chicken thighs, wild boar and apple croquettes, and BBQ pulled beef brisket tacos. They also serve roasts with all the trimmings and offer specials like Tipsy Tuesday with sangria, Fizz Wednesday with Prosecco, and Thirsty Thursday with house wine.
