Family-run restaurant overwhelmed with bookings after tearful plea for help

The owner of a family-run restaurant who made a tearful plea for help after having no bookings says he's now been bombarded with so many requests he's had to unplug the phone. On August 30 Scott Oliver, who owns Tapa in Bollington, Cheshire, 'swallowed his pride' to admit his restaurant was set to be completely empty.

The desperate 35-year-old's plea, posted just three hours before the restaurant opened at 5pm, asked 'what can we do to get people to come in?' and offered free food vouchers to use on a second visit.

Scott says he was then inundated with requests and even claims he had to take the batteries out of the restaurant's phone as it was overrun with foodies wanting to help out, CheshireLive reports. The dad-of-one, who runs the restaurant with partner Jaydean Pilling, says he served around 60 people across the night and turned away 30 because they were too busy.

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He says Tapa's electricity bill has risen from £600 to £2,500 in 18 months and only after crying down the phone to his provider did they arrange a plan at £1,500 per month. Despite admitting his post sounded 'desperate' he insists he'll do whatever it takes to keep his business afloat in tough times - even if he has to 'pull on heartstrings'.

Scott said: "We need bums on seats or we aren't going to survive. The post is against some people's ideas of how to use social media but you get to a point where you have to. I included the image of the definition to emphasise that there were literally zero tables booked.

"It's heart-breaking and it's soul-destroying for the