Hospitality Business Tracker August 2026

• Sector-wide sales up by 0.8% year-on-year  
• Restaurants climb 2.4% but World Cup hangover slows pubs  
• New openings carry groups to inflation-beating growth 

Britain’s hospitality sector finished a solid summer with a fourth straight month of growth in August, the new NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker reveals.

Like-for-like sales at leading managed groups were 0.8% above the levels of August 2025 according to the Tracker, which is produced by NIQ, powered by CGA intelligence, in association with RSM. It is the Tracker’s third best monthly result of 2026 so far.

However, August’s figure is also a slight cooling from growth of 1.4% in July, when hospitality was boosted by the football World Cup. It is also below the country’s recent level of inflation, as measured by the Consumer Prices Index. Hospitality has not achieved real-terms monthly growth for 16 consecutive months.

Restaurants were comfortably the strongest channel of hospitality in August, securing year-on-year growth of 2.4%. It was restaurant groups’ second strongest month since the start of 2025, as some consumers returned to eating out after focusing on pub visits during the World Cup.  

The end of the tournament made August tougher for pub groups, as their sales finished only 0.5% ahead of the same month last year. Excessive heat in many parts of Britain may also have kept some drinkers away from pubs. Bar groups saw sales slip by 2.5% year-on-year, and the on-the-go sector finished 5.5% behind.

While like-for-like growth has been modest in 2026, results have been significantly stronger on a total sales basis. Adding in venues that were launched in the previous 12 months, the NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker shows sales rose by 4.1% year-on-year in August.  

For hospitality as a whole, trading was fractionally weaker in London than in the rest of the country in August. Groups’ like-for-like sales rose by 0.6% within the M25, and by 0.8% further afield.  

Karl Chessell, director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA at NIQ, said:

“It’s been a stable if unspectacular summer for Britain’s hospitality sector. August was a particularly encouraging month for restaurants, who drew back guests after a long run of weak growth and struggles for footfall during the World Cup, but it was a more challenging one for drink-led pubs and bars. Healthy growth on a total sales basis indicates that operators and investors remain optimistic enough about the long-term future of hospitality to open new venues. However, underlying growth remains extremely difficult. Hospitality will be hoping that consumers feel able to loosen their spending in the run-in to Christmas, and also looking to the government for support around VAT to help drive this demand.”

Saxon Moseley, head of leisure and hospitality at RSM UK, said:

“August’s moderate growth reflects a gradual improvement in consumer confidence, giving discretionary spending a boost. However, while any uptick is welcome, growth remains subdued and highly vulnerable to the unintended consequences of shifting Government policy. The recently announced tourist tax threatens to actively stifle consumer behaviour, arriving precisely when the hospitality sector urgently needs the Treasury to stimulate demand and alleviate an already crippling tax burden, rather than adding to it. All eyes will be on next month’s budget to provide clarity and certainty as we approach the all-important festive trading period.”

NIQ collected sales figures directly from 122 leading managed groups for the latest edition of the NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker. The Tracker provides authoritative monthly insights into Britain’s restaurant, pub and bar sales, and participating companies receive detailed breakdowns of trading to help benchmark performance and understand market trends.

To join the cohort, contact Andrew Dean at  andy.dean@nielseniq.com 

Participants in the NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker: Adventure Leisure Ltd, All Star Lanes, Amber Taverns, Anglian Country Inns, Arc Inspirations, Azzurri Group (Ask Italian, Coco di Mama, Zizzi), B Bagel, Barburrito, Barworks, Beds and Bars, Big Fang Collective, Big Table Group (Banana Tree Restaurants, Bella Italia, Chiquito, Frankie & Benny’s, Las Iguanas), Bill’s Restaurants, Bleecker St Burger, Boisdale Ltd, Boom Battle Bar, Boston Tea Party, Boxpark, BrewDog, Burger & Lobster, Buzzworks Holdings Group, Byron, Camerons Brewery, Chance and Counters, Coaching Inn Group Ltd, Comptoir Group Plc, Cote Restaurants, Creams Café, Darwin & Wallace, Dishoom, Evolv Collection, Five Guys, Flat Iron, Fortnum & Mason, Fuller Smith & Turner, Gaucho Grill, German Doner Kebab, Giggling Squid, Glendola Leisure, Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, Greene King (Chef & Brewer, Hungry Horse, Flaming Grill), Hall & Woodhouse, Hawthorn Leisure, Heartwood Collection, Honest Burgers, HOP Vietnamese, Kibou, Kricket, Laine Pub Co, Lane 7, Liberation, Lina Stores, Loungers, Lucky Voice, Marston’s, McMullen & Sons Ltd, Megans, Mildreds, Mission Mars, Mitchells & Butlers (Harvester, Toby, Miller & Carter, All Bar One), MJMK Restaurants, Mojo Bar, Mowgli, Nando’s Restaurants, Neos Hospitality, New World Trading Company, Nightcap Plc,  North Brewing Co, NQ64 Arcade Bars , Open House London, Parogon Pub Group, Pho, Pizza Express, Pizza Hut UK, Pizza Pilgrims, Popeyes, Portobello Starboard Ltd, Prezzo, Public House Group, Punch Pub Co, Rick Stein Restaurants, Riley’s, Rosa’s Thai, Roxy Leisure, San Carlo, Sandbox VR, Shepherd Neame, Signature Pubs, Simmons Bars Group, Sixes Entertainment, Southern Wind Group (Fazenda), St Austell, Star Pubs & Bars, State of Play Hospitality, Stonegate Pub Co (Slug & Lettuce, Yates’, Walkabout, Bermondsey Pub Company), Tasty Plc, TGI Fridays UK, The Alchemist, The Fulham Shore, The Restaurant Group, Thunderbird Fried Chicken, Tonkotsu, Topgolf Ltd, Tortilla, Tossed, Treetop Golf, True North Brew Co, Upham Pub Co, Urban Pubs & Bars, Urban Village Pub Co, Various Eateries (Strada, Coppa Club), Village Hotels, Wagamama, Wasabi, Wells & Co, Wingstop, Yard Sale Pizza, Yolk, YO! Sushi, Young’s and Yummy Collection.

About RSM UK

RSM UK is a leading provider of audit, tax and consulting services. As an integrated team with nearly 4,900 partners and staff operating from 31 locations across the UK, we have a culture of understanding what it means to deliver value, and to value what we do. 

As part of the RSM International network, we have access to more than 57,000 people in more than 120 countries. Our global presence helps us to meet the needs of clients who are trading and expanding internationally. 

To learn more, visit www.rsmuk.com. 

About NIQ

NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ) is a leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete and trusted understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. By combining an unmatched global data footprint and granular consumer and retail measurement with decades of AI modeling expertise, NIQ builds decision systems that help companies turn complex data into confident action.

With operations in more than 90 countries, NIQ covers approximately 82% of the world’s population and more than $7.4 trillion in global consumer spend. Through cloud-based platforms, advanced analytics and AI-driven insights, NIQ delivers The Full View™—helping brands and retailers understand what consumers buy, why they buy it, and what to do next.

For more information, please visit www.niq.com.

Forward Looking Statement

This press release regarding sales trends for Britain’s eating and drinking out market may contain forward-looking statements regarding anticipated consumer behaviors, market trends, and industry developments. These statements reflect current expectations and projections based on available data, historical patterns, and various assumptions. Words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “likely,” “may,” “poised to,”,” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future outcomes and are subject to inherent uncertainties, including changes in consumer preferences, economic conditions, technological advancements, and competitive dynamics. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. While we strive to base our insights on reliable data and sound methodologies, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances, except to the extent required by applicable law.  

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