New research says good value food is driving consumers back to pubs
Traditional full service restaurants may be struggling to attract consumers in today's tough economy and facing a decline in the number of customers, but foodservice in pubs is bucking the trend and seeing consumers return to eating out.
That is the key finding from foodservice experts at market research company, The NPD Group, as they report year-on-year growth in foodservice in pubs for the last two quarters, with the recovery primarily led by branded operators in the market, such as Wetherspoons and Harvester.
The NPD Group's research found that pubs serving food are capitalising upon longer opening hours by offering food throughout the day, from breakfast, morning coffee and lunch, through to dinner.
There are also signs that value is the key to the recovery of foodservice in pubs, while more expensive restaurants are still in decline. With their value for money approach such as breakfast offers and deals for early evening meals, NPD found that consumers regard pubs as good value and worth trading up to from fast food chains.
The level of customer traffic in branded pubs has increased by 4% in quarter one 2011, compared to the same period on 2010, while unbranded pubs have not experienced such a strong performance.
At the same time, the pub channel has shown a 2.2% increase in traffic and a 1.4% increase in average individual spend, while full service restaurants have experienced a 4.4% decline in visits for the first quarter 2011.
The average individual spend in a pub for the year ending March 2011 was £7.98, compared to £9.44 for a full service restaurant.
There are also signs that eating out in pubs primarily appeals to middle income families, with 28% of their customer base in this same period falling in the £19,000 - £29,999 household income bracket and 28% in the £30,000 - £49,999 bracket.
Commenting upon the revival of foodservice in pubs, Guy Fielding, NPD's Business Development Director for foodservice said: "When the recession hit, people stopped eating out and either ate at home or traded down to fast food. Now, full service restaurants are still too expensive and they are out-pricing themselves, particularly with alcohol. But the value for money food on offer from pubs, at all points throughout the day, is enticing customers to return.
"The good news is that pubs are also attracting consumers back to the higher spend occasions, such as dinner and at weekends, when they can bring their children and the meal becomes a social occasion."
22 Jun 2011
New research says good value food is driving consumers back to pubs - Eat Out Magazine
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