Restaurant’s viral post shows why six customers can change everything

A restaurant is drawing a wave of online reactions after calling out a group of customers for their “disgraceful” way of handling a dinner reservation.

Beppi’s, an Italian restaurant in Sydney, Australia, shared the criticism in a Facebook post on May 22. In the post, the family-run eatery explained why one group’s decision to no-show on their reservation created such an issue that the staff was considering sharing their names to shame them publicly.

“Last night we had a total of table of 6 did not show,” the restaurant wrote. “60% of our revenue GONE. No call to cancel, phone just goes to message bank. Disgraceful behaviour. We are temped to post the name and number of the customer however thought best not.”

Six people might not sound like a major impact, but their bill would have gone a long way amid Australia’s social distancing measures. Until June 1, Beppi’s was not permitted to have more than 10 customers in its dining room at a time — meaning six people really did account for 60 percent of the night’s potential revenue.

Beppi’s also wrote that while most customers have been extremely supportive throughout the health crisis, a “selfish few spoil it for others & inflict further financial pain of an industry already decimated by the pandemic.”

Several Facebook users weighed in on the post, with many sharing the restaurant’s anger and frustration.

“Absolute disgrace! These people should be ashamed, and compensate the restaurant,” one user wrote.

“Absolutely disgusting behaviour! I believe it is our duty to support local businesses. Particularly those so hard hit by the Pandemic like Beppi’s,” another wrote.

“Name and shame, in these times it’s not appropriate to no show!” another added, suggesting that Beppi’s should have included the customers’ names in its post.

Others, meanwhile, were more sympathetic to the customers, writing it was “unprofessional” to even consider naming the no-show party.

“You don’t know why they didn’t show maybe there was a family emergency and they had their minds on that and forgot to call,” one user wrote.

Beppi’s added in the comments that it had zero hint as to why the customers didn’t show up, writing that the staff had yet to hear from anyone on the reservation.

The restaurant seemed to remain positive following the ordeal though, sharing another post on June 1 — the day its capacity limit increased to 50 people — that thanked the community for its support.

“Good to have our customers back in the restaurant albeit spread out as required. Interaction with others is the essence of hospitality & we have missed it very much,” the eatery wrote.

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