The organisations’ joint Q4 Hospitality Members’ Survey showed that 35% of respondents were expecting to be operating at a loss or be unviable by the end of the year, with 96% experiencing higher energy costs and 93% facing food price inflation.
The impact of the cost-of-living crisis on customers is also being felt, with more than three-quarters of operators (77%) seeing a decrease in people eating and drinking out and 85% expect this to worsen going forwards.
As a result, 89% are either not confident or pessimistic that the current levels of support offered by government will protect the industry in the next six months.
