Leading figures in the hospitality sector insist it is not to blame for rising rates of coronavirus infections.
Boris Johnson's 10pm curfew on pubs and restaurants are being roundly criticised by the hospitality industry, with one pub boss describing the government as "jokers" who are "ruining the country".
The new measures are set to be enforced from Thursday across England, amid concerns there is less compliance with social distancing rules late at night.
JD Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin told Ian King Live that the decision would cost jobs.
And the chief executive of Fuller's, Simon Emeny, described the plans as unnecessary and "draconian" - warning the taxpayer would have to foot a greater bill.
Industry bosses gave their reaction to the plans as Wetherspoon's and Premier Inn-owner Whitbread announced proposals for significant jobs losses ahead of the PM's statement to MPs which confirmed 10pm curfews.
News of tougher measures also prompted a backlash from a major industry lobby group.
Kate Nicholls, the chief executive of UKHospitality argued such an approach would make it harder to control the spread of coronavirus - and pointed to government data that suggests 5% of infections are linked to hospitality venues.
She said: "These restrictions will come as another crushing blow for many hospitality businesses struggling to recover so it's crucial these new rules are applied with flexibility.
"A hard close time is bad for business and bad for controlling the virus - we need to allow time for people to disperse over a longer period."
Ms Nicholls also claimed that similar measures enforced in local lockdowns have failed to reduce infection rates and "merely damaged businesses and cost jobs".
She is now calling for a support package to be targeted towards the hospitality sector, and said the government must "recognise this will damage confidence even further" and cause the sector to struggle long into next year.
"We need to see an early signal that the VAT cut will be extended through to the end of 2021, that the business rates holiday will continue next year, and an enhanced employment support package specifically for hospitality," she added.
The Institute of Economic Affairs echoed criticism of the plans, which will also ban people from ordering at the bar in venues.
The right-wing think tank's head of lifestyle economics, Christopher Snowdon, said: "While mandatory table service has been part of the successful Swedish approach and may have merit, the new closing time will be devastating to a hospitality sector that was already suffering after the first lockdown.
"The government should publish the evidence upon which this decision was based."
Source: Sky News