The team behind new Douglas restaurant The 6th Bite have apologised to customers after experiencing difficulties during their first week of trading.

The restaurant, which recently opened on Prospect Hill, serves dishes inspired by the culinary traditions of China, Japan and Korea and offers both dine-in and takeaway options, with seating for around 40 people.

However, in a statement shared on social media this week, the business admitted customers had faced long waits and service issues following unexpected kitchen challenges.

The team said: ‘We want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported us over the past few weeks.

‘However, we need to address last week. Due to unexpected kitchen challenges, our service was much slower than usual. We know several guests waited over 30 minutes, and some didn’t get their meals at all.

‘Your dining experience and satisfaction mean everything to us, and we are truly sorry for letting you down.’

The restaurant said it had spent the last few days improving operations behind the scenes and believes service has now improved significantly.

‘We’ve spent the last few days streamlining our kitchen operations and upgrading our workflow,’ the statement continued.

‘We’re happy to say our service is now significantly faster and smoother.’

The team also invited customers affected by delays or missed orders to get in touch directly, offering complimentary meals in a bid to restore confidence.

The opening of The 6th Bite has already attracted attention locally, including a recent visit from the Mayor of Douglas.

Following the visit, the Mayor praised both the food and the team behind the new venture.

In a social media post, he said it was ‘great to meet Oliver & Phoebe’ and learn more about the restaurant.

The Mayor encouraged people to support the business and wished the team success moving forward.

‘Good luck to Oliver, Phoebe and the rest of the team! See you guys soon!’ he said.