Is hospitality under more pressure than ever?

Of all the things to predict running low on, a lack of bouncers for the front doors of nightclubs is unlikely to be top of anyone’s list, but that’s the current state of play. As part of a wider staff shortage issue, a dearth of doorman is particularly pressing, with three-quarters of clubs, pubs and bars stating they were short of security staff, with some closing earlier or shutting entirely on Tuesdays or Wednesdays as well as Mondays, according to the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA).¹

Kate Nicholls, the chief executive of UKHospitality, said hospitality businesses were still about 10% short of staff, double the level going into the pandemic, and were lacking 188,000 permanent staff and 25,000 temporary or seasonal workers.¹

And these same rising living costs seem to be starting to impact customer behaviour, as a YouGov poll has found that over a third of people (39%) have reduced how much they spend on eating out over the last six months due to feeling the pinch.²

But as always, a little look around uncovers something positive. The group that owns Fridays, Hostmore Group, has announced that it plans to almost double its estate to around 200 restaurants in the medium term.³

Yet the industry is still looking to the government for help. Whilst every household in the UK got an energy bill discount of £400 recently, hospitality had hoped Chancellor Rishi Sunak would take the opportunity to outline further support for the sector, such as a temporary reduction in VAT, but no new measures were announced.⁴

Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA), said⁵:

But there is some positive action coming from the government, as it has made a commitment to make the provision of pavement licenses in England and Wales permanent under the Business and Planning Act. It is still a draft piece of legislation and subject to change, but it should come into law once the current Business and Planning Act ends in September.