Italian restaurant Don Giovanni has clapped back at a ‘vulgar’ reviewer following a comment that was left on the business’s Facebook page.
Bosses at the establishment have asked for customers to ‘be kind’ whilst dining at their restaurant after receiving negative feedback in which a customer called a waitress a “little scrote.”
The woman also said that the service she had received was “appalling” and that should would “never” be returning to the multi-award-winning restaurant after having been left to wait 20 minutes for a drinks order.
In response, the restaurant replied to the comments in detail, stating that they were “not a fast food restaurant” but a “fine dining” establishment that “serve our food fresh, not out of a microwave.”
The team also said: “Please refrain from using vulgar language towards our staff online or in person. Our team are hardworking, passionate and dedicated to”
“We can appreciate that the road out of lockdown has been turbulent and we are beyond happy to welcome you all again into our restaurant each week. their roles within the Don Giovanni family.”
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As well as replying to the Facebook review itself, the restaurant team also screenshotted the conversation and uploaded it to their Instagram page with a message asking “please be kind.”
Image: Don Giovanni
In the Instagram caption, the restaurant team took the time to share some statistics highlighting the issues that have blighted the hospitality industry in the past two years – including the fact that the vacancy rate in the sector is now around 10 percent, stating that 3,000 unfilled jobs are currently being advertised in Manchester alone.
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The full post read:
“PLEASE BE KIND WHILE YOU DINE.
“We can appreciate that the road out of lockdown has been turbulent and we are beyond happy to welcome you all again into our restaurant each week.
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“All we ask is that you be kind while you dine.
“We understand not everyone works within the hospitality industry and might not have a complete understanding of the vulnerable position our industry is in.
“Here are a few things worth noting:
• The vacancy rate is now around 10% (200,000 staff across the UK and 3000 solely in Manchester) • 1/5 workers have left our sector since the start of the pandemic • Each hospitality business came out of lockdown at the same time meaning that every business is now on the look out for staff
“Anything you find unsatisfactory can be raised with your server or our managers during your visit. They will be more than happy to help rectify the situation.
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“Please refrain from using vulgar language towards our staff online or in person. Our team are hardworking, passionate and dedicated to their roles within the Don Giovanni family.
“We thank you for your continued support.”
The post has been liked hundreds of times, but there have been some mixed messages in the comment section.
Asked for comment, Don Giovanni’s general manager Allel said: “As a premium, well oiled, city centre establishment I would say we have seen it all – but these are exceptional times we are in.”
“We have a long-standing management team, who take pride in what they do and the dining experience of each guest.
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“On the rare occasion when it doesn’t go to plan, as management we take that personally and do all we can to rectify that situation.
“But as management, we must protect our staff and our business, and such incredibly rude behaviour and language simply will not be tolerated by us.
“Yes, if someone is unhappy we welcome that being brought to our attention, but abuse and vulgar language being used to describe our member of staff is simply unacceptable to us.”
Feature image – Don Giovanni
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Teen sentenced after deliberately driving into a female police officer in Stockport
Emily Sergeant
A teen who deliberately drove into a female police officer at a retail park Stockport earlier this year has been sentenced.
Harvey Bell was at a retail park on Wilmslow Road in Cheadle back on 25 January 2025 when he seriously injured a Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officer during a shocking incident – which left the officer requiring hospital treatment.
At the time, the 19-year-old from Knutsford was present while police were investigating reports of class C drug use in a car park.
Police parked in front of an Audi and the officer signalled for Bell to remain stationary and turn the engine off, but instead he reversed, and as the officer approached the front windscreen, Bell drove at the officer, knocking her to the ground.
He then proceeded to drive over her legs with both sets of wheels, before heading out of the car park at speed.
#JAILED | A man who deliberately drove into a police officer in Stockport has been jailed.
Harvey Bell (12/08/2005) has been sentenced to 31 months in a Young Offenders Institute and was disqualified from driving for two years.
— Stockport Police (GMP) (@GMPStockport) June 4, 2025
Bell was subsequently arrested the following day and made no comment in his police interview, but then went on to plead guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, as well as possession of cannabis on 27 March 2025.
The teen appeared at Manchester Crown Court this week where he was sentenced to 31 months in a Young Offenders Institute, and was also disqualified from driving for two years – which will take effect when he is released.
“What [Bell] did to me is permanently in the back of my mind, every call I go to, I feel the apprehension, the fear that any incident, no matter how innocuous it appears, can end with being assaulted or hurt,” the officer explained in a powerful victim impact statement read in court.
“This is an unseen result of Bell’s assault on me.”
She continued: “I know that Bell’s abhorrent behaviour is an exception, and the majority of the public we serve do not wish us harm, but assaults on police need to stop. An attack on a police officer is an attack on us all.
“Bell is a danger to society and had total disregard for my life.”
Featured Image – GMP
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IKEA announces decision to close popular Greater Manchester site
Emily Sergeant
It’s the end of the road for one of IKEA’s popular Greater Manchester sites.
The Swedish furniture giant has announced its decision to close its ‘Plan and Order Point’ over in Stockport in a couple of weeks time.
The store – which is located in Stockport town centre’s Merseyway Shopping Centre – launched to huge success back in March 2023, and at the time, was the second of this ‘test and trial’ format to open in the UK, becoming a smaller space dedicated to kitchen and home planning, as well as ordering items.
IKEA says the closure comes as a result of ‘valuable learnings’ which plan to take this conceptual format in a direction to ‘better suit the needs of UK customers’.
IKEA is closing its close popular Stockport site this month / Credit: Jon Super (via IKEA)
Since the opening of the Stockport Plan and Order Point, IKEA claims it has seen an increased demand for Click and Collect services, a desire by customers to shop a smaller selection of home furnishing accessories, as well as the ability to return goods to physical IKEA units, and this is all something which the current location is unable to offer.
Learning from this change in consumer habits, the company says its future Plan and Order Point openings – including in those in other northern cities like Hull and York – will offer these services.
IKEA says it also remains ‘committed’ to trialling new formats, such as its upcoming small stores, one of which will open in nearby Chester later this year.
Luckily for IKEA fans, the retailer has confirmed that its major Greater Manchester store in Ashton-under-Lyne, as well as the neighbouring store in Warrington, will remain open as normal, offering all the services available at Stockport and more.
The Swedish furniture says the closure comes as a result of ‘valuable learnings’ about customer needs / Credit: Jon Super (via IKEA)
In addition to the upcoming opening of a smaller store in Chester, IKEA has revealed that the North West continues to be an area of interest for future expansion.
“After careful evaluation, we’ve made the difficult decision to close the IKEA Plan and Order Point at Merseyway Shopping Centre,” explained Salma Azad, who is one of IKEA’s Area Managers.
“In the two years since opening, we’ve taken valuable learnings, including how our customers prefer to meet IKEA, and we’ll take these insights into future openings, to serve shoppers in a more impactful way.”
Thanks to last year’s Click and Collect expansion, Stockport residents can now pick up purchases from Tesco Extra Stockport and Tesco Extra Stretford, as well as the Manchester store and the upcoming small store in Chester.
Stockport Plan and Order Point’s final day of trading will be on 16 June.