What will happen to restaurants / cafes

[LaCouleurDeMonCiel]

Pre Covid / COL increase we would eat out as a family 1-2 a week. Eating out would often be spontaneous, places like Bills, Rosas Thai, pizzeria, etc. when we passed one while shopping or because we didn’t fancy cooking.

Now we have stopped the spontaneous meals because the prices are ridiculous. We still go out when we want to go to a specific restaurant or celebrate something but we don’t visit the casual low/mid range places because £100+ is too expensive for a quick ‘not that special’ meal.

Are we the only ones?
Will we see a change in the type of restaurants on the high streets? High end restaurants + cheap fast food ones but nothing in between?

I think people downshift or go at lunch instead of dinner. There will still be people there but not all the same people as before. But I can see it in our local town, places have been struggling.

Within 5 five minutes walk we have a pizza shop, a chippy, an Indian, an independent cafe, and a dessert shop. A burger bar is opening soon. They are all busy.

This is a village... not a big town!

I agree op, yet I still see places buzzing and plenty of deliveroo etc deliveries buzzing around.
People I know are also cutting down, yet everywhere is still busy.

We are the same used to go out all the time spontaneously to casual places just because we were out and fancied it until we worked out how much we were really spending. Now we go out less but to better places that we really enjoy as the cost for the random meals had just got to much. We can’t be the only ones I wonder how much it is affecting the industry.

I’ve drastically cut down on takeaways and eating out too. I actually deleted food delivery apps like Deliveroo because I haven’t used them in over a year and don’t plan to any more - something that I didn’t imagine when I installed them originally.
Anecdotally some chains seem to have lots of customers eg my local Wagamama and Nandos but other chains have already gone eg my local Byron’s and Cafe Rouge.
When I order takeaways now it’s from non-chain shops like my local Chinese. Food arrives hot and in good condition unlike fast food or chains near me so more satisfying.

I think they'll go out of business if their prices stay high. We went to Pizza Express the other day - £105 for 4 people with an £8 discount and no alcohol. It was dead in there as well.

On the other hand, my neighbour is clearly more richer than me and keeps the food delivery drivers busy. (I work from
a desk where I can see their front door and the road is quiet so cars are very noticeable) They have days where they have more than one meal delivered (I know this because of the branded Deliveroo /just eat bags)

We don't because we don't really like the chain places and there isn't much else where we live.

We don’t order anything through Deliveroo, the mark up/delivery cost is just too expensive, so we order through takeaways that take orders over the phone. Where the quality/quantity has reduced we also won’t order through these places as it’s not worthwhile so we stick to places where we know we get good value for our money.

That is a good point actually. Most places seem busy but all the people I talk to about this are cutting down (middle class families with primary age kids mostly) - maybe the demographic
of restaurant goers is changing.

We haven’t stopped eating out. Always really busy, have to book in advance, no walk ins etc.

DH and I both work, DD is 7. I’m not sure I’d refer to myself as middle class as we both work. Grandparents are pensioners and they eat out often too.

I’ve wondered about this. I’m now cutting down - takeaways are just as expensive as eating out- even with special offers.

Im also eating out less. Just can’t justify it. But I still see places that are really busy.

It does make you wonder- we have stopped a lot of our spontaneous eating out e.g. before cinema or whatever as pub food is generally so poor these days and we would rather not spend £50 for two on something we could make ourselves.
I also look out for any special deals or something like a wine tasting event with the meal, so it's a night out as well as just a meal.

But when we went to Fazenda a few months ago - lovely Brazilian steak house but £££ - the place was packed on a dreary mid month Tuesday. It looked like mostly mid twenties folk. It's a mystery to me how they can afford it, when I was that age we thought a pizza and bottle of wine at Pizza Express was the height of sophistication and decadence.

We are fortunate enough to be able to afford to eat out regularly but we rarely do.

So many cafes and restaurants welcome dogs and I'm not prepared to pay good money to eat in less hygienic conditions than my own home. We went to a cafe last year and I watched a member of staff pat a dog which was licking her hands. She then went back to the counter and immediately started handling cakes. Some people might not care. We stood up, demanded a refund then walked out. I put a bad review on TripAdvisor.

Two separate friends of mine will not eat in dog ridden places either. Last autumn we were in the Lake District for a week and didn't spend money in any cafe or restaurant as none were dog free. They will argue they need to attract the dog lovers but we are personally saving loads of money, a few hundred each holiday. We self cater so it's easy.

where I’m at , niche / independent Bakeries , cafes and restaurants are thriving , these are relatively small, few seating places , always busy inside and out, and I think food delivery services are playing a major role in keeping them afloat too.

apart from one Pret and a couple of Joe & juice in my area I don’t see the usual Starbucks /Mcs/ pizza express.
Trends for healthy /artisan foods will slowly push these places out of business.

Lots of people still have money. You have to book everywhere where I am. No walk-ins. Brunch places ask for bookings two days in advance.

We used to eat out a lot pre Covid but somewhere like Billsa air even Frankie and Bennys would be close to £100 with drinks. Family of 4! Now we eat out with Tesco vouchers. Went to Bella Italia a few Saturdays ago with myself, dh, teen dd and grandson. I actually hated the experience as was too loud and too many people 😂 Gluten free pizza was nice though 😂

What the heck happened their?! I meant Bills and Frankie and bennys

I think the increased energy costs are the reason why prices have shot up so much, which then has the effect of people eating there less. Ordered a Chinese the other night and prawn toast was £9 . It's not sustainable is it? And I ordered from the takeaway that I did because the one closest to me has just shut down. In my last order I placed with them right before shitting down I noticed that their portions were significantly smaller for the price. Places are struggling to make ends meet.

It's grim to think I won't even be able to access small luxuries like takeaway bc it's either too expensive or the places have shut down.

Only in wealthy areas. A juice at Joe is nearly a tenner. The chains may be at risk, but it's not from those places.

@TinkerTiger i love how you edited your comment, but left the phrase SHITTING DOWN there 😄

@FourChimneys interesting. I only really go to dog friendly places and they are always packed. Very popular where I live

Whoops 😂 and I had to reread it twice again before I even saw it! Gotta leave it now

@ichundich £25 per person - so you must have all had two courses and a drink. Not unreasonable for the price.

I don't tend to go to Pizza Express as there are local places that are similar or lower priced and better quality.

Also I don't think being dog friendly is the issue at all. That may cost a couple of customers but the UK as a whole seems to be quite dog friendly. Takeaways/restaurants are decreasing portions while increasing prices to stay afloat.

Even if I've got money, I'm not paying for something that I don't think is worth it. Dogs or not!