Fewer than 10% of business leaders in the out-of-home sector are confident about market prospects over the next 12 months, the latest Business Confidence Survey from CGA and Fourth reveals—but restaurant and pub group bosses are less pessimistic than independent operators.

The survey, conducted over the first three weeks of September, shows that the number of leaders feeling confident about the general market has dipped to just 9%—half the level in June (16%), and a fraction of the four-year high of 60% at the start of this year.

But the proportion of multi-site businesses feeling confident about the next 12 months for their own business has climbed five percentage points to 37% since June. This contrasts with a recent survey of members of UKHospitality, BBPA and BII, which found that only 19% of operators with one or two sites felt optimistic about their prospects. However, group leaders’ optimism levels remain way below pre-pandemic levels of 83% in the February edition of the Business Confidence Survey.