Restaurants around Malta and Gozo collectively struggled during the COVID-19 semi-lockdown, but now as the first tourists have landed in Malta, one Italian restaurateur has encountered another bump along the road.

"Covid-19 has crumbled us. This is how much. Malta is paying dearly for the absence of tourists. Valletta even more..." the owner lamented in a length Facebook post shared on the Sotto Pizzeria and Zero Sei Facebook pages.

Posted yesterday ahead of today's airport reopening, the post's hopeful tone at the prospect of welcoming tourists into the establishment turns into dismay as the latest turn of events is revealed: "Some tourists will come, maybe we'll work a bit...And therefore... a truck parked in front of Zero Sei, a truck in the Prosciutteria in Gzira there to demolish a building."

The post drew the sympathy of many loyal customers, who urged the owner to have faith. However, others were quick to highlight the unfair situation unfurling: "Well, it's only fair that they've waited three months to carry out the work, instead of doing them during the period of masked semi-lockdown and just like little cherries they intensify now that the season is starting," one person commented.

Equally as exasperated, the owner signed off with a heavy suggestion: "There's nothing in the meantime at Sotto, so therefore if you have a truck, or a heavy vehicle of any kind, we have our last restaurant strangely free. But I expect to find us tomorrow morning with an oil well, a platform, a tanker ..." 

Let's show some love to Fausto!