Nearly 30% customers cancel their reservations on Father’s Day as COVID cases rise

SINGAPORE: The recent rise of COVID cases in Singapore has hit the restaurant industry hard, leading to an unexpected increase in reservations cancelled on Father’s Day, June 16.

According to 8World, restaurants are experiencing a challenging time, with nearly 30 per cent of customers cancelling their reservations for Father’s Day.

To mitigate the impact, some businesses have reduced their prices of holiday packages, hoping to attract customers.

According to management, a seafood restaurant at Hotel Miramar has received a steady stream of cancellation calls over the past two weeks, especially on weekends.

This resulted in about 40% decrease in customer traffic, noting that “only about half of the seats are booked” as Father’s Day approaches.

Lin Youzhao, the manager of Ah Yi Seafood, shared, “Last year’s reservations were secured a month or two in advance. Last year was much better. This year is not ideal.

For the past two or three weeks, we have seen a 20% to 30% cancellation rate among those booked. When we ask why, they all say they are sick. So we have been doing promotions this month, hoping to attract more customers.”

To entice diners, the restaurant has reduced the prices of popular dishes like Australian lobster and Alaskan long-legged crab by about 15% to 20% to boost business during this slow period.

Another restaurant, Sum Kee Food, is facing similar challenges. With Father’s Day falling on a weekend, they face stiff competition from neighbouring Malaysian restaurants. Currently, about half of their seats remain unbooked.

Sum Kee Food’s owner explained, “If there’s cancellation, it’s only a very small group of people, maybe four or five.”

He also noted, “Just after Mother’s Day, we received some reservations for Father’s Day.” He added, “They came in slowly but surely.”

Both restaurants have noticed a growing trend of customers seeking good value for their money, often comparing prices before making a reservation.

This led many establishments to adopt a strategy focused on making small profits while attracting more customers. /TISG