Whitbread’s food and beverage were 9.7% behind pre-Covid in the second half of the 2022 financial year.
The Premier Inn operator said while its hotel performance was excellent, the value pub and restaurant sector had seen slower to recover since reopening in May 2021.
Whitbread hopes the rollout of new menus, combined with targeted marketing initiatives, will drive an improvement in food and beverage sales.
F&B sales were 30.9% behind FY20 (32.7% behind on a 52-week basis) due to lockdown closures, recovering in H2 to 9.7% behind (13.3% behind on a 52-week basis)
In the seven weeks to 21 April 2022, food and beverage sales improved to be ahead of FY22 and 4.6% behind FY20 levels.
Alison Brittain, Whitbread chief executive, said: “Whilst our hotel performance was excellent, the value pub and restaurant sector in which we operate has seen a slower recovery post reopening in May 2021. We are seeing an improvement in our UK restaurants performance, and we are confident the commercial initiatives we have recently launched will help drive a further improvement in sales.”
Total UK food and beverage sales were 163.4% ahead of FY21, but 32.7% behind FY20 reflecting the fact that all restaurants were closed from the start of the year until 12 April, when outdoor service only was permitted in England.
The estate was largely reopened on 17 May, with total food and beverage sales improving to 13.3% behind FY20 levels in the second half of the year, as the pub and restaurant value-sector sees a slower return to pre-COVID levels.
