It comes after level sales in June and a drop of 1.0% in May. The Tracker’s comparisons have now been static or negative in five of the first seven months of 2025.
Managed pubs outperformed restaurants throughout the first half of the year, and they again achieved the best growth of the Tracker’s segments in July, at 0.6%. They were boosted by periods of warm weather in many parts of Britain, but comparisons were held down by the Euro 2024 football tournament, which brought millions of people out to watch games in pubs last July.
Managed restaurant groups lagged pubs with 0.2% growth, but this was the first year-on-year increase since December 2024, and a very tentative sign that consumer confidence is moving in the right direction. Bars’ sales were down by 4.3% from July 2024, and the on-the-go segment slipped by 4.5%. Growth inside and outside the M25 stood at +0.7% and -0.3% respectively—the first time since March that London has outperformed the rest of the country.
The Tracker—produced by CGA by NIQ in partnership with RSM UK—provides more positive indicators of total sales in hospitality, including at venues opened by groups in the last 12 months. These were 3.2% ahead of the same month in 2024—broadly in line with the UK’s rate of inflation in 2025, as measured by the Consumer Prices Index.
Karl Chessell, director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA at CGA by NIQ, said: “The summer has brought little respite from the intense trading challenges facing hospitality, and real-terms growth is elusive. Pubs can be more satisfied than restaurant groups, which have had to work very hard to sustain footfall and cope with more sharp rises in the costs of labour and food. Solid growth in total sales shows operators and investors remain confident enough to open new sites, though if trading patterns continue, they will be forced to make some difficult decisions on spending. The sector remains resilient and can turn round recent trends but needs an upturn in consumers’ spending confidence.”
Saxon Moseley, head of leisure and hospitality at RSM UK, said: “July’s results underscore the sector’s ongoing struggles, with performance largely flat or in decline. It’s not all bad news though – while pubs saw a small uptick in growth, this was set against a UEFA Euro finals fuelled boost last year, so the underlying growth is stronger than it appears. In addition, restaurants may take solace with a return to modest growth following June’s disappointing contraction. However, with significant cost pressures and dwindling cash reserves, these are not the results the industry needed, and with both business and consumer uncertainty mounting ahead of the budget there is a real concern that things will get worse before they get better”.
CGA by NIQ collected sales figures directly from 121 leading managed groups for July’s edition of the CGA RSM Hospitality Business Tracker, which provides authoritative monthly insights into Britain’s restaurant, pub and bar sales. Companies participating in the Tracker receive a fuller breakdown of trading that helps to benchmark performance and understand market trends. To join the cohort, contact Andrew Dean at andy.dean@nielseniq.com
Participants in the CGA 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), 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, Chaiiwala, Chance and Counters, Coaching Inn Group Ltd, Comptoir Group Plc, Cote Restaurants, Creams Café, D & D London, Darwin & Wallace, Dishoom, Five Guys, Fortnum & Mason, Fuller Smith & Turner, Gaucho Grill, Giggling Squid, Glendola Leisure, Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, Greene King (Chef & Brewer, Hungry Horse, Flaming Grill), Gusto Restaurants, Hall & Woodhouse, Hawthorn Leisure, Heartwood Collection, Honest Burgers, HOP Vietnamese, Individual Restaurants, Kibou, Laine Pub Co, Lane 7, Le Bistrot Pierre, 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, Peach Pubs, Pho, Pizza Express, Pizza Hut UK, Popeyes, Portobello Starboard Ltd, Prezzo, Public House Group, Punch Pub Co, Revolution Bars, Rick Stein Restaurants, Riley’s, Rosa’s Thai, Roxy Leisure, San Carlo, Shepherd Neame, Simmons Bars Group, Snug Bar, 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, Turtle Bay, Upham Pub Co, Urban Pubs & Bars, Various Eateries (Strada, Coppa Club), Village Hotels, Wagamama, Wasabi, Wells & Co, Whitbread (Beefeater, Brewers Fayre, Table Table), Wingstop, Yolk, YO! Sushi, Young’s and Yummy Collection.
