Following today’s news (May 25th) that The Restaurant Group’s sales have nearly reached pre-COVID levels since outdoor dining resumed in the UK;

Carmen Bryan, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers her view:

“Despite seeing a hefty 32.1% decline from £32.2bn in 2019 to a forecast-value of £21.8bn in 2020, the UK’s restaurant sector is on the road to recovery – surely providing some momentary relief to key players like The Restaurant Group.

“The positive sales the company has seen in its brands, like Wagamama, since doors reopened signifies UK consumers’ COVID-fatigue, as many are eager to re-join the world after dreary winter months locked away. Although many restaurants will be seeing a spike in visits now, it is crucial for players to identify the established trends that drive these visits. When asked what they find appealing about food and drinks prepared at restaurants, the top three responses by UK consumers are having a greater variety of dishes (46%), convenience (43%) and superior taste and quality (42%) – it is clear that most Brits see eating out as an occasion to treat themselves with high quality cuisines they would struggle to replicate at home.

“With an extensive portfolio across a number of different cuisines, The Restaurant Group is well positioned to capitalise on these consumer demands. In the near-future, ensuring safe, sanitised transactions will also be crucial to maintaining footfall. Preventing another peak in infections should be both consumers and operators’ main priority to ensure that doors stay open and full recovery can be reached.”