Overview

• Mitchells & Butlers chief executive Phil Urban says younger customers are choosing social media and home gatherings over late-night pub outings, shrinking the after-hours market.
• The company will not pursue growth in the late-night sector and identifies its Irish pub chain O’Neill’s as the most exposed to the current downturn.
• Family-oriented occasions such as Mother’s Day and Easter have driven a surge in daytime and early-evening visitors across major hospitality brands.
• Marston’s has invested in a new sports pub concept to capitalize on growing demand for communal viewing and daytime trade.
• Hospitality operators face rising staffing costs after increases to employer national insurance and the minimum wage, a factor likely to push up consumer prices.