Mild weather gives new year’s sales boost for restaurants outside London

Mid-market restaurant groups across the UK saw a solid boost in like-for-like sales during January driven almost entirely by strong sale outside the capital.

Business was up 2.5% on January 2019, whilst turnover in London outlets increased by only 0.7%, according to the latest figures from the Coffer Peach Business Tracker.

Managed pubs also saw like-for-like growth of 1.7% compared to the same month last year, bringing collective like-for-like sales across the managed restaurant, pub and bar sector up by 1.9%.

Karl Chessell, director of CGA, the business consultancy that publishes the data in partnership with the Coffer Group and RSM, said: “Reasonably good weather, in particular the lack of snow, will have helped sales, but nonetheless it is encouraging to see that the public is continuing to go out to eat and drink.”

Trevor Watson, executive director at Davis Coffer Lyons, added: “To put these figures in context, last January the market saw a 1.8% drop in like-for-likes against 2018, so essentially we are back to where we were two years ago. But it does show an underlying stability in the market, despite the political climate and what has been going on in the wider economy. The eating and drinking out market is showing resilience and people’s appetite for going out remains intact.”

Total sales growth for the month, which includes the effect of new openings since this time last year, were ahead 4.7% compared to same period in 2019.

The Coffer Peach Tracker analyses the performance of 58 operating groups including Oakman Inns, Peach Pubs and Casual Dining Group.