Pub and restaurant sales down 40% from last year

Restaurants and pubs in England who had reopened by 6 July have reported collective like-for-like sales 39.8% down on the same week last year, according to data from the latest Coffer Peach Business Tracker produced by CGA.

Pubs were open for the week beginning 6 July saw sales 39.3% down on the same week in 2019. Bar sales were down 42.9% and group-owned restaurants saw like-for-like sales down 40%.

The figures also show that 70% of managed pubs and pub restaurants traded, while just 17% of restaurants and 42% of bars opened for business during the first week.

Karl Chessell, director of CGA, said: “Trading at almost 60% of pre-Covid norms is actually a better performance than many other markets internationally, such as the US, experienced on reopening. The sector still has a long way to go, but this sets the benchmark against which the speed of recovery will be judged.

“The 70% of managed pubs in the first full week compares to just 42% over the first weekend, and although restaurants have been taking an even more cautious approach, we know more will be open next week.”

He added that most operators were planning “a phased approach to reopening”.

Figures for the week beginning 6 July show that 55% of group-operated sites had reopened for eating and drinking inside, up from the 36% trading on the first weekend restrictions were lifted. Full-week sales were also better than they were over the first Saturday and Sunday, when like-for-likes were 44.5% below pre-Covid levels.

A total of 44 companies, including the Restaurant Group, Giggling Squid (pictured) and Stonegate Pub Co, provided data to the Tracker, with a further 11 operators reporting that they had yet to open any sites.

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