A restaurant owner (left) resorted to drastic measures after a diner (right) failed to show up to her booking on Saturday night. Photo / Facebook / Twitter
A restaurant owner (left) resorted to drastic measures after a diner (right) failed to show up to her booking on Saturday night. Photo / Facebook / Twitter
A restaurant has apologised after it shared the name, email and mobile number of a diner who didn't show up to a table booking.
Bully's, in Pontcanna, Cardiff, shared the apology on Twitter a day after owner Russell Bullimore revealed the customer's personal details on the social media site.
MrBullimore shared customer Emily Quinlan's details because he was 'frustrated' that she hadn't turned up to a reservation.
However, despite his apology, the restaurant later thanked a Twitter user who described Ms Quinlan as a "selfish cow".
When MailOnline contacted Bully's, a staff member said they couldn't pass on Mr Bullimore's contact details because it breached "data protection".
She wrote: "I will be passing this on to the Information Commisioners (sic) office. Your complete lack of professionalism and decorum has clearly lost you a lot of custom already."
Following Ms Quinlan's comments, Mr Bullimore issued a grovelling apology on the restaurant's Twitter account, Daily Mail reported.
It read: "Apologies for last nights tweet guys. It was fuelled by emotion and for that we can only apologise profusely.
"Please remember that this is a family business run by passion and a strong community spirit. We're not a chain restaurant, we're an independent that loves what we do."
The apology. Photo / Twitter
However, the restaurant later appeared to 'like' a comment from a Twitter user describing Ms Quinlan as a "selfish cow".
It later tweeted "I haven't met you but thanks x," to the Twitter user.
Before the apology, Mr Bullimore said, in an interview with WalesOnline, that he just "thinks and does things".
He said: "You take bookings and try and call them back and sometimes you get them and sometimes you don't.
"If I don't get them on the landline I'll try on my mobile and they'll answer and often say, 'Oh I cancelled' or there's some excuse, or they'll just hang up.
"I lose about 12 people a week who book, and it's about £40 per person.. In a year it can add up to £50,000.
"The table of six no-show last night - I rang them and they said I cancelled on Wednesday.
"I know every person who has called, and if they are cancelling I thank them for ringing in time. I am constantly checking my phone, my emails. My phone currently has more 'no-shows' listed than actual friends."
Emily responded to the tweet in question. Photo / Twitter
When asked about sharing personal details, he said: "I just think and then do things. I'm going to put an apology on Twitter.
"It's a mobile number and a name. If someone has a car crash and takes a picture of the car's number plate they can be ID-d from that.
"I get cold calls all the time because my details are out there."
Bully's was awarded AA Restaurant of the Year in Wales 2014-15.
It claimed that it had eight diners - a table of two and a table of six - not show up for last night's dinner service.
Mr Bullimore said that no-shows are becoming a big problem, but admitted that he wasn't sure what to do.
"I don't want to have to start taking money off people before they sit down, I want people to pay for food because it deserves it. I'll probably have to invest in some way of getting people's credit card details [for deposits].
"Out of everyone who doesn't show what percentage of them has a life problem?
"It's common courtesy, lots of them probably have a hangover or can't be bothered or have gone somewhere else. Not all people do. But people used to be more courteous to each other."
Both the owner and the restaurant have been blasted on social media for revealing the personal details.
