Hospo; It’s Not All Doom and Gloom

In Hospitality it’s easy to get swept up in the challenges our industry faces, I've written about most of it, but the truth is the UK food scene is showing plenty of reasons to stay optimistic on our high street and heading into the most challenging Q4 of hospitality ever is this;

High street favourites are still thriving — Bills, Wagamama, Popeyes and Cosmos are all reporting strong growth, in revenue, profit or venues — proving that casual dining remains a cornerstone of the British eating-out culture. Apart from the local barbers of course....

It’s not just the high street either — fine dining empires are on the up too, with Claude Bosi, Jason Atherton and Gordon Ramsay all reporting positive results — a reassuring sign that the appetite for premium dining experiences is alive and well.

Meanwhile, one of the country’s most respected restaurant groups is expanding at pace: Hawksmoor is looking at 12 new sites, with revenue soaring past £100M, cementing its reputation as a true British success story.

Its not just the big guys, my own clients I have in the North West are also showing huge positive growth from a stagnant Q1/Q2 of 2025, are hiring, opening longer, and re positioning on the high street from a casual stand amongst several competitors, to a luxury smart casual brasserie, demonstrating building something you believe in, with personal touch, and details will put you on a map.

• Claude Bosi and his wife Lucy are opening a second Josephine brasserie in Marylebone (to join their original Fulham site) on 24 April 2025.

• Gordon Ramsay’s UK restaurant group posted adjusted earnings of £12 million for 2024, up from £8.3 million the previous year.

• Bill’s has more than doubled its EBITDA in recent years — reporting £11.2 million in EBITDA in FY24, up from £5.5 million in FY22.

• Popeyes UK has set out ambitious plans — opening over 45 new restaurants in 2025, almost doubling its UK footprint, and expecting to generate over £200 million in sales.

  
  

But behind every strong set of results is something less flashy but just as powerful: knowing your guests. For some venues, that means the personal touch — greeting a regular by name, remembering their favourite dessert, their go-to coffee order, or even the table they like to sit at. These small details build loyalty, create repeat visits, and transform a good experience into a great one.

So what DO they all have in common? Data - Not that guy from the Goonies, but real actionable data.

We know, the British diner is eating earlier, smaller portions, less alcohol, the data tells us, but its how you listen and action, from the local bistro to the largest, newest trending venue, not just hunch stuff, or gold leaf on a tomahawk - yawn....

At the other end of the spectrum, the power of data insight is fuelling hospitality growth on a grand scale. Today’s systems can track sales mix, margins, average dwell times and spend per head, feedback— comparing weekdays versus weekends, lunch versus late nights. These insights are gold dust, helping operators tweak menus, maximise covers, and make strategic expansion decisions. It’s this blend of local-level hospitality and data-driven intelligence that’s building the powerhouses of today’s restaurant industry.

It’s worth asking: what really keeps the big operators in profit? Is it sheer buying power, a strong operating culture, or an ability to read and react to eating trends? All of those play a role, but the real secret weapon is data. The challenge, then, is how an independent with 40 covers and tight margins can harness the same principles. The truth is, you don’t need enterprise-level software to start — even small operators can track guest preferences, monitor sales mix, note peak dwell times, and compare weekday versus weekend spend. Scaled to the size of a neighbourhood restaurant, those same insights can drive sharper decisions, reduce waste, and build the kind of loyal guest base that makes the difference between scraping by and thriving.

The truth is, success in hospitality comes from balancing it all — a great product, memorable guest experiences, well-drilled operations, smart labour control, tight portioning and waste management, sharp data analysis is all wrapped up in the warmth of a welcoming dining room. That’s what builds a venue, and more importantly, what keeps it. At its heart, hospitality will always be about people, product and profit — but behind the smiles, the dishes and the numbers, it’s analysis, data and decisive action that turn good intentions into lasting success.

So what data have you got from your venue, direct guest feedback, booking sheets, online presence even checking plates as you clear them but more importantly, the team around you.

How are you going to action it?