Colchester restaurant closes ahead of diner's birthday bash

Marianne Cammack, was due to mark her 52nd birthday at Cibus Restaurant, in Church Street, Colchester, alongside seven friends.

Mrs Cammack says she booked a table four weeks ago.

Last week, however, bosses announced on social media they had been forced to close the restaurant after recording multiple cases of Covid-19 among its staff.

But Mrs Cammack says she was not informed about the closure, saying she had paid a £50 deposit to secure her booking.

“They have taken my money yet have they not had the decency to tell me they cannot honour my booking,” she added.

Read More: Colchester's Cibus Restaurant shuts due to Covid-19 outbreak

“I booked a £100 minibus and would have rocked up on Wednesday to celebrate my birthday only to realise they were not open.

“I completely understand what they are going through with the coronavirus situation, and I sympathise with that, but they did not even contact me – it is really bad.

“So now on Wednesday my friends and I are just going to find somewhere else to eat.”

Franco Murgia, manager at the Cibus Restaurant, said it was not company policy to take deposits and stressed any customers who were booked in to have a meal at the site would have been contacted.

Nonetheless, he has now apologised to Mrs Cammack for any upset caused.

He said: “Our priorities are customer and staff safety and one of our staff members has been in hospital for 12 days.

“The last thing we want is to make customers unhappy and if this lady had of turned up I would have accommodated her somewhere else.

“I am sure she is upset but the priority right now is looking after people’s wellbeing.

“We do not accept deposits but if she has somehow paid a deposit I will be most apologetic to her.

“I am renowned for putting my hands up and admitting we have done wrong when I am at fault, so if that is the case, she will have our sincere apologies.”