It’s like lockdown all
Restaurant boss struggles to survive as new Omicron strain hits hospitality at worst time
WE may as well be in lockdown... That was the verdict of one Birmingham restaurant owner after the latest announcement on Covid restrictions hit his bookings.
It is a message echoed by many in the hospitality industry who have seen booking cancelled in the wake of the imminent Omicron Covid wave.
Luca Laghi’s Italian Deli, in Islington Row, Edgbaston, has seen over 150 cancellations alone.
It means an average of a quarter of his covers are cancelling each day.
And the reservations book for the rest of the month is so sparse it looks more like a January than the most lucrative time of the year.
Mr Laghi has now resorted to offering ‘lockdown’ delivery boxes, similar to those he offered in Tier 3 restrictions this time last year.
Since Boris Johnson announced work-from-home advice, hospitality venues across the country have been hit by Christmas party cancellations.
Mr Laghi, who also runs Mulino takeaway at Millennium Point, said he has become reliant on walk-in trade due to the consistently dwindling bookings.
He said: “It is not just Christmas party bookings cancelling. The lack of table reservations for the next couple of weeks is very worrying. It’s what you would expect maybe January time.
“I am only a 45-cover restaurant with a private dining room for up to 20 – but every single day without fail, I have two to three tables cancel. That is too much for a small place like mine.
“Last Christmas, we were in Tier 3 conditions, which was effectively a lockdown.
“In many ways, this feels the same but without the financial support. It would not be worth me opening up if it was not for the walk-in trade we have been getting.
“Right now, I am paying staff to come in with not enough bookings to pay the wages. I’m so grateful for all the walk-ins we have been getting. It is helping keep my business alive – along with the delivery boxes.”
Mr Laghi said he felt he had no choice but to return to offering ‘Laghi’s At Home’ boxes last week.
The boxes comprise Christmas three-course menus with instructions on how to prepare each course. Dishes include a choice of braised ox cheek and basil pappardelle with white lamb ragu and classic Italian Tiramisu.
The cost is £30 per person.
He is also offering takeaway mulled wine and Italian eggnog, as he did last Christmas.
He told the Post: “Last Christmas during lockdown, the delivery boxes were very popular with diners – as it means they do not have to mix with anyone. Christmas is always a crucial trading period, but considering how many months restaurants have been closed since Covid hit, we were all hoping to make some of that money back.”
As well as delivered meal boxes, Mr Laghi is also offering up his chef for private home dining, preparing a meal, with Covid guidelines followed.
Mr Laghi added: “I will do whatever it takes to keep my business going. My business cannot afford another terrible Christmas.”
Mr Laghi is also a qualified doctor and still works as one in the city as well as running his businesses with the help of family.
He opened Laghi’s, near Five Ways, in 2017 after moving to Birmingham from his home city in Bologna, Italy, to further his medical career. The restaurant swiftly established itself as one of the most highly rated places in the city.
The father-of-one said: “I trained hard to become a doctor and appreciate being able to work in Birmingham, but it was always my lifelong dream to open my own restaurant.
“I was able to do so while still working for the NHS – a job I love – with a lot of family support. I have invested my blood, sweat and tears into Laghi’s Deli.”
After managing the running of the restaurant alongside his job as a consultant geriatrician for University Hospitals Birmingham, Mr Laghi sees both the NHS and business point of view.
He said he is bracing himself for Covid-related hospitalisations when he returns to work from annual leave at the city’s A&E departments later this week.
“As the first cases were reported at the start of the month, there is always a lag where we see the effects in hospitals,” Mr Laghi said.
“As much as it hurts me to see the restaurant suffering again, I am pleased to see that the government is trying to get on top of the new variant by pushing everything they have into getting everyone triple vaccinated.
“It is vital for fighting the virus. Yes, you may still get Covid, but without the booster, it is much more dangerous.”
In many ways, this feels the same but without the financial support. It would not be worth me opening up if it was not for the walk-in trade
Luca Laghi