THERE was no room at the inn, or restaurant for that matter last night, as punters piled in to pubs and restaurant prior to the Central Belt’s upcoming mini-lockdown.
As Glaswegians head out for one last pint before we enter 16 dry days, bars and restaurants have found themselves very busy before shutting their doors once again.
Scott McLean, a manager at the Glaschu restaurant in Royal Exchange Square told the Glasgow Times that the only tables he had free last night were at 7.45pm or 5pm, with many customers phoning after the First Minister’s announcement to move their reservations to last night and Friday at lunchtime.
“We will just have to weather the storm,” he said.
The popular Titwood Bar in Nithsdale Road in the South Side had no tables free.
Duty manager Ross Atkin said: “We’ve got a lot of people in for the Scotland game tonight but I suppose it’s also people’s last full night of drinking for a while.”
Brian Kirk, the assistant manager of the Pot Still told us there was a “slim chance of a seat” when asked last night.
He said the bar was mostly full with bookings and the seats they kept open for regulars.
Punters may have had more luck early yesterday evening with Embargo on Byres Road.
Manager Amy Watt said the West End bar and restaurant had five tables free between 5-7pm but was otherwise fully booked until they closed at 10pm.
Further down into Partick, Frank Gilsenan, manager of Roastit Bubbly Jocks said there was very limited availability for a table last night.
“I’m bemused with the news to be honest,” he said.
“It’s very frustrating that restaurants are being tarred with the same brush as pubs.”
He mentioned the extra effort and cost the restaurant had sunk into enhanced hygiene regimes, including sanitising the pen patrons used to fill out their track and trace information and reducing the number of tables by nine.
When pubs are forced to close their doors tonight at 6pm, there won’t be many punters filing out filled with goodwill towards the First Minister but she defended her decision in parliament yesterday.
Ms Sturgeon said: “I do not expect anybody to be happy with what we must do right now. These are not normal times.
“I do not get up in the morning and decide to close pubs for some sort of policy reason.”
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