35 of the UK’s Top 100 restaurant groups are now loss-making, up 75% from just 20 last year, shows research by UHY Hacker Young, the national accountancy group.

UHY Hacker Young says that trading conditions have become increasingly difficult for restaurant chains dealing with oversaturation in the market as well as rising costs.

The firm adds that this research comes on the back of the high-profile struggles of several major restaurant chains in recent weeks, including,Jamie’s Italian, started by Jamie Oliver, which has closed 12 branches as part of a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) to restructure its £71.5m debt and Byron, the burger chain, which may close up to 20 of its 67 branches following a period of paying reduced rent.

Other restaurant’s struggling include Prezzo, the Italian chain, which is expected to close some of its 300 branches as part of a restructuring, Strada, another Italian chain, which closed 11 branches over the festive period and Barbecoa, another Jamie Oliver chain, which entered administration in mid-February as well as EAT, the sandwich chain, which was rumoured in early February to be considering closing some of its 100 branches

UHY Hacker Young says that pressures of competing with numerous similar ‘fast casual’ restaurants in an overcrowded high street are a major driver of many large restaurant groups registering losses over the past year.

It adds that the National Minimum wage, which has risen by an above-inflation 19% to £7.50 per hour over the last five years, has added a substantial cost burden to large restaurant chains. From April 2018, the minimum wage will rise even further to £7.83.

Peter Kubik, Partner at UHY Hacker Young, comments: “More than a third of the biggest companies in the restaurant sector are losing money, and there is little respite on the horizon.”

“Pressures on the restaurant sector have been building for years, and the last year has pushed a number of major groups to breaking point.”

“With Brexit hanging over consumers like a dark cloud, restaurants can’t expect a bailout from a surge in discretionary spending.”

“Consumers only have a finite amount of spending power when it comes to eating out, and the oversaturation of the market means that groups that fall foul of changing trends can very easily fail.”

“The Government has ratcheted up costs with a series of above-inflation rises in the minimum wage, and we are just weeks away from another 4.4% rise in April. That will be tough for a lot of restaurants to absorb.”

3 COMMENTS

  1. I think a lot of the problems are that they have priced themselves out of a job.. Some of these chains want a lot of cash for fairly ordinary food leaving you with a feeling of being mugged when the bill arrives at the end of the evening. If they were more reasonable with their pricing they could have a steady flow of business all week as opposed to Fri/Sat evenings. I have no sympathy !

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