'I had 35 no-shows for lunch on Mother's Day'

Ozgur Yeter, who runs Leek Bar and Grill in Getliffe's Yard, said eight tables of diners failed to let him know they weren't coming

Restaurant owners in Staffordshire have been left disappointed after some diners failed to show up for their Mother's Day bookings.

Ozgur Yeter, owner of Leek Bar And Grill, in Leek, said 35 people - making up eight tables of diners - didn't let him know they could not be there on Sunday, while staff had been forced to turn other customers away.

He said many small businesses rely on special occasions like Mother's Day, describing it as their "bread and butter".

Fellow restaurateur George Lowe said he was fully booked, but again customers did not arrive, failing to let him know they would not be there.

Mr Ozgur told BBC Radio Stoke he was now considering a deposit scheme, something he has always been reluctant to do

"Our customer base is friends of families and, for that reason, we didn't go down the path of securing the bookings… but we have learnt our lesson now," he said.

'Can't be bothered to go'

The Mediterranean restaurant opened in Getliffe's Yard in 2016 and has expanded its operations over the years.

Mr Ozgur said some customers did give the restaurant notice of their cancellations, but of the tables who did not, two of them were group bookings.

While he admits the problem had been a "one-off", he said it was "surprising and unusual".

"We looked forward to having this day as a small business," he added.

He has previously taken to social media to highlight how running a restaurant in the current climate is "already challenging, and situations like these make it even tougher".

And Mr Lowe, who runs Lowe's on Carter Street in Uttoxeter, said eight customers did not turn up and the situation with no-shows was getting "unbearable" and happening "more and more frequently".

"Ultimately life happens, people do get sick last minute or they have car troubles, there's a whole host of reasons, some genuine, but the brutal reality is for a restaurant owner that some people just feel entitled that they can book space into your restaurant and cancel last minute because they can't be bothered to go," he said.

His restaurant has now implemented deposits following previous no-shows, to combat future losses.