More people are shaking off back-to-work blues and dining out on a Sunday evening, while Fridays have become “tougher” for hospitality firms amid a shift in post-Covid working patterns, the boss of a pizza chain has suggested.
Thom Elliot, the co-founder of Pizza Pilgrims, which has a brand in Brighton’s Ship Street, said dining behaviour has changed with the onset of hybrid working.
“I think the ‘treat meal’ in the week still exists,” he said, adding: “We’ve definitely seen a change in the make-up of that week – Thursdays are now commonly accepted as the new Fridays.”
The interior of Pizza Pilgrims, Brighton (Image: The Argus)
But this has made trading tougher on a Friday, he said.
Nevertheless, Mr Elliot said Saturdays were “much bigger” than pre-Covid, while there was evidence to suggest that more people are eating out on a Sunday night.
“I’m allocating this to the mindset of; ‘I don’t have to go to the office on Monday morning, so if I’m a little bit slower out of the gates, that’s probably okay’,” the businessman speculated.
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Pizza Pilgrims runs a chain of about 25 restaurants in the UK, in cities including London, Leeds and Cardiff. Brighton’s branch opened in July 2022.
The business recently revealed that its pre-tax profit more than doubled to £700,000 in the year to June 2023, its most recent accounts, while revenues grew by more than a third to £29 million.
Mr Elliot said there was a “goldrush toward neighbourhood areas during Covid” with restaurants opening up in a bid to attract consumers staying close to home.
The businessman, who founded Pizza Pilgrims with his brother James in 2012, said diners spent an average of about £16 to £17 per visit to its pizzerias.
The casual dining sector has seen a number of new entrants growing rapidly in recent years, with pizza chain Franco Manca founded in 2008 and growing to operate more than 70 restaurants across the UK.
Meanwhile, other struggling chains have grappled with the post-pandemic recovery, soaring food and energy costs, and consumers tightening their belts against cost-of-living pressures.
The operator of TGI Fridays in the UK fell into administration and has been trying to secure a buyer for its 87-strong chain of restaurants.