Dining out in UK at lowest level since May amid Omicron fears | Food & drink industry

The number of people dining out across the UK has fallen to the lowest level since the reopening of indoor hospitality, according to restaurant industry figures covering the first few days since news broke of the Omicron variant.

The seven-day average estimate for UK seated diners fell six percentage points in the week to 29 November, reaching the lowest point since 17 May when indoor dining reopened in England, Scotland and Wales.

While the number of people eating out remained above levels recorded during the equivalent week in 2019 before the onset of the pandemic, at 111%, the figure was down from a level of 117% in the previous week, according to the figures from the booking platform OpenTable.

In a potential sign of growing consumer caution, the number of seated diners on Monday and Tuesday this week fell sharply compared with the same days earlier this month, dropping to 4% and 7% below pre-Covid levels for the same days in 2019. Although the number of people dining out is usually lower at the start of the week, this was the weakest daily figure since July.

It comes as hospitality bosses report a wave of cancellations of bookings for Christmas parties and events since news of the Omicron variant first emerged late last week, just as pub, restaurant and hotel operators were hoping to welcome many customers during the crucial festive season.

Separate figures from the Office for National Statistics showed the volume of vehicle traffic on Great Britain’s roads on Monday 29 November fell by five percentage points from the previous week, dropping to 92% of its level in the first week of February 2020 before the spread of Covid-19.

The latest snapshot from the ONS largely covers the week to Sunday, meaning only a handful of days since news of Omicron are captured. However, the figures show the fallout for the economy from Storm Arwen, including the drop in road traffic levels and daily ship visits to UK ports.

Boris Johnson announced measures at the weekend aimed to limit the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant, including compulsory face coverings from Tuesday in shops and on public transport in England, but he stopped short of including the hospitality sector. However, businesses fear tougher measures could soon follow.

Alan Thomas, the UK CEO at Simply Business, a small business insurer, said: “The return of Covid-19 restrictions amid growing fears around the Omicron variant will leave many small business owners worrying about the risk of a bleak Christmas. Not only could they signal further, tighter restrictions, but they may also dampen consumer confidence – with many in the hospitality sector already reporting cancelled bookings.”