Restaurant and Bars Report

Over the six months since our last report, headlines have been inundated with stories on the downward pressure on consumer spending and the gloomy forecast which lays ahead for the economy. In addition, changes in legislation and tax continue to impinge on the sector, As such, we consider the implications of a recent European Court ruling that has called into question how VAT is applied on hot takeaway food.

Whilst the industry should remain cautiously optimistic, trading results would somewhat suggest the economy has not been all bad, with many operators trading figures proving to be better than expected. Even in some structurally challenged sectors, such as wet-led pubs, operators are sounding more upbeat. For some, as our special update on pubs illustrates, the death of the British boozer has been greatly exaggerated. We also look at what successful operators are doing in order to thrive in the long-term, and examine how to break into foreign markets.

Download your copy of  the report here