Restaurateurs seem to have learned from the hoopla which surrounded the royal wedding and the claims of the boost it would bring to the economy followed swiftly by news that it had, actually, done the opposite and set the economy back. Hoteliers had already faced warnings of lower bookings than they had been led to expect and been involved in a spat with BoJo over price gouging by Thomas Cook.

The Independent reports the Chairman of the Restaurant Association as saying he considers it likely that the Olympics will be a 'wash out' just like the wedding. Another restaurateur, Richard Shepherd, whose takings fell by an astonishing 75% during the wedding, is thinking of closing his four restaurants for the duration of the Games. The reality is the Olympics actually cause a reduction in tourist numbers while regular clients may well choose to go away to avoid the disruption caused by the Games.

Of course, just as reality has dawned on some others continue to urge restaurateurs to 'think outside the box' and to take advantage of the 'incredible opportunities' they say London 2012 will bring.

Interestingly, tourism promoters London & Partners seem to have given up on the boosterist argument and say they recognise that other host cities have experienced the same problems. Just as well, when the ETOA's Tom Jenkins, who has long warned of a decline in tourism during the Games, now says that leisure business during the Games is down by a staggering 95%!