“We feel very let down by the local council, especially at this time when restaurants are fighting for their survival”
Sam’s Riverside, voted one of London’s top ten favourite restaurants according Harden’s Guide 2023, is fearing for survival following a decision from the council to remove the restaurant’s outside covered terrace.
The marquee was removed in November after a small number of local residents petitioned have the outdoor spaced removed forcing owner Sam Harrison to cancel multiple winter bookings.
The terrace accommodates hundreds of covers every week and with the decision from the council likely to result in thousands of pounds of revenue lost and subsequent redundancies for Sam and his restaurant.
Commenting on the decision, Sam explained: "Very sadly due to a small number of residents who live directly above us many of who spend a large amount of the year living abroad, we have been forced to take the marquee that covers our terrace down."
He added: "We feel very let down by the local council, especially at this time when restaurants are fighting for their survival and jobs are on the line. Due to this decision, we will be forced to let some staff go and our own chances of surviving the winter are greatly reduced."
The action from the council comes at a time of unmitigated strain for the hospitality industry, with many businesses already struggling to stay afloat amid a cost-of-living crisis and widescale strike action.
Amongst the toxic mix of covid recovery, soaring inflation and huge energy price rises, this is an unwelcome setback for the famous riverside restaurant, rendering its future unstable.
Commenting on the current climate, Sam said, "How can this be right with the current cost of living crisis? It breaks my heart and I don’t actually know what to say to my team. All we are asking is to be treated fairly. In London shouldn’t local residents and local businesses try and work together? Our terrace is only open until 10pm. There are many pubs and other operators in the area who already are allowed to trade like this- isn’t this part of what London life is meant to be about?"
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