‘Strikes are the poisonous cherry on top of what is already a very toxic cake’
London small business owners facing the loss of tens of thousands of pounds due to Tube strikes have taken to social media to share their pain. The walkout by Rail, Maritime and Transport union members has brought the London Underground network to a near standstill, with only three lines running a very limited services (Elizabeth line and London Overground trains are unaffected).
Research by the Centre for Economics and Business Research, carried out for The Evening Standard newspaper last week, estimated the strikes will cost the capital’s economy £230m. Central London hospitality businesses will take the hit particularly hard, as they rely on a large footfall to bring in enough customers to pay sky-high rents, rising supplier bills, and staffing costs.
With many office workers already choosing to work from home after Covid, the hospitality sector in London was already facing an uphill battle to get drinkers and diners through the doors. On Instagram, Mamapen founder Kaneda Pen wrote: “Strikes are the poisonous cherry on top of what is already a very toxic cake,” adding in a video: “Which is pretty much a f**king disaster.”
The chef, whose Cambodian restaurant can be found at the Sun and 13 Cantons pub in Soho, predicts this week’s takings will be down by around 50 per cent. While some central London businesses can opt to close this week, saving on staff costs, Kaneda told followers his restaurant does not have that luxury and will make a go of it by dropping lunchtime service on two days to cut staffing costs.
“If you happen to be forced to go into work, if you’ve got friends in work, or any friends on holiday in London, please tell them to get out and support those businesses that are trading, because we could really really really use your help,” he added.
Peter Dore-Smith, from Kaffeine, an independent Australian-style coffee shop with two branches near Oxford Circus, also took to Instagram to share his frustration, writing: “So, so angry right now. And disheartened and sad, and seriously you just have to have the incredible resolve and strength.
“Tube strikes again. In one of the worst years for hospitality and financial viability ever, [Tube drivers] are on strike for four days.”
Peter claims he stands to lose between £10-20,000 in gross revenue, adding: “This is a really really bad situation, for people who are looking to work a 32-hour week. It’s really not fair. It’s really not acceptable. It’s really just pissed me off like you would not believe, and I’m sure it does with other people too.
“Have a think about all the businesses in London that are going to suffer this week, especially in hospitality, especially in theatres. We are already suffering. Tube strikes don’t help. Get back to work. Come back and support London.”
Last time London faced a Tube strike in January, the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan halted the walkout with a £30million offer at the very last moment. But for Niaz Caan, the chef behind Paro in Covent Garden and City Spice on Brick Lane, that deal still came too late, costing him £9,500 in revenue, he claims, due to the impact the strike announcement had on customer plans.
Speaking to followers on TikTok, Niaz said: “When you are in an area like Covent Garden, Soho, or even Brick Lane, you rely on the footfall. People don’t book as much. You get a lot of walk-in customers. But when there’s a train strike, or a train strike gets announced, the office workers, the people planning to visit the likes of the Lyceum [theatre], haven’t booked.
“They cancel their plans. But when the train strikes get cancelled at a last minute’s notice, the people have technically still cancelled their plans.
“As a result, my business or any restaurant that I have. I still have staff to pay, still have a food cost to pay, I still have perishables, and it still cost me nine-and-a-half grand for last week to this one.”
If you are a small business owner facing huge losses because of the strike, please get in touch with MyLondon.
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