What do today’s diners want from restaurants and cafés?

There’s never been a tougher time to run a restaurant — or a more exciting one. While diners have more choice than ever, businesses are getting creative with menus, formats and experiences to win loyalty and boost covers.

From Michelin-starred establishments to food trucks, five-star takeaways to family-run cafés, people with a passion for food are bringing culinary delights to every corner of the UK.

We asked over 400 hospitality businesses* what they think about the state of the industry today. From what matters to customers, to staffing, marketing and more, here’s what we found.

What matters most to customers

It’s not just about what’s on the plate that matters to customers. Our survey found that customers say food quality (56%) and friendly staff (54%) top the list of what they care about.

That means team dynamics and customer service training are just as important as sourcing the perfect burrata. In a restaurant or café, you’re serving memories, not just food, so the way you make customers feel while they’re dining with you is really important.

Service with a smile, personalisation and making the customer feel special takes mere moments and can go a long way. The risk weighing heaviest on hospitality businesses right now is reputational damage, with 41% pointing to negative reviews as their biggest concern.

Banishing these negative reviews by building a good team of reliable, service-oriented people can really make all the difference.

Small teams, big ambitions

A quarter of the businesses we surveyed employ five people or fewer, but two-thirds plan to grow their team this year. This shows a real bounce-back for the hospitality sector, after being so badly hit in the pandemic.

That said, hiring can be a juggling act — particularly with seasonal demand, spontaneous bookings and rising costs all in the mix.

It takes an average of 3.9 weeks to hire someone in the hospitality sector. That’s a lot of hours spent sifting through CVs, scheduling interviews, arranging trial shifts, finalising paperwork and implementing training.

Building a positive workplace culture will set you up well. Great culture will give your business a positive reputation, which will make it easier to hire new staff, help your team work well together and deliver a better outcome on the restaurant floor. Happy staff means happy customers.

Getting discovered

It’s no longer enough to have a great menu — you also need great marketing. Word of mouth still rules (at 61%) according to our research, but social media and Google searches are catching up fast.

This means your digital footprint matters. Keep your online profiles up to date and take note of what your customers are saying about you online. It’s good practice to respond to all reviews you get — even the bad ones.

And don’t forget social media. Posting what you’re up to, your specials, updates on your team or even videos of food prep can really help to spread the word. TikTok and Instagram are a hotbed of food posts, with influencers gushing over their latest food finds.

So don’t forget, making your mark online can be as important as plating it beautifully.

Think beyond the kitchen

Running a restaurant or café means managing more than just serving meals. Supplier management, utilities, rent, waste collection, cleaning, payroll, training, deliveries and menu creation are just a few things that happen behind the scenes.

With all these plates spinning in the background, it’s unsurprising that a few might drop from time to time. Our research found that over a third of hospitality businesses (37%) say they’ve avoided major setbacks in the past year, but the most common challenges faced were staff shortages (27%), equipment breakdowns (27%) and supply chain issues (21%).

Additionally, more than one in ten hospitality businesses say a setback would hit them hard without the right cover. While insurance won’t stop your walk-in fridge from breaking down, it could take the sting out of a sudden setback.

If your set-up has changed lately — say, you’ve added outdoor seating or started hosting events — it’s worth checking if your insurance reflects that.

There are several covers restaurants and cafes might want to consider, including employers’ liability, public liability insurance, business interruption and contents insurance. You can also cover your alcohol licence and your building — if you own the building your café or restaurant is in — as well as tenants' improvements, if you’re leasing.

Learn more about the types of cover you might want to consider on our insurance for hospitality businesses page.

Want more tips for pubs and bars? Read our 6 top tips for running a hospitality business.

*Superscript surveyed 402 hospitality business owners and managers across the UK via Attest.

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