Live Report
Week Ending 24 May 2026
Trailing 13 Weeks: 1 March 2026 – 24 May 2026
UK Restaurant Pulse
A mixed week across the UK hospitality market. Covers were up, but the guest mix shifted.
Casual, weather-driven traffic filled the week while high-value occasion diners held their plans for the bank holiday weekend ahead.
More covers at a lower average ticket pushed SSS negative despite stronger footfall.*
*Paperchase proprietary data
TOTAL COHORT –2.5% WoW
FINE DINING –1.8% WoW
UPSCALE CASUAL –1.7% WoW
SPH TOTAL –1.6%
SPH FINE DINING –7.9%
SPH UPSCALE CASUAL FLAT FLAT – YoY
YoY SSS TOTAL –3.4%
YoY SSS FINE DINING –4.7%
YoY SSS UPSCALE CASUAL –3.0%
TOTAL COHORT –2.5% WoW
FINE DINING –1.8% WoW
UPSCALE CASUAL –1.7% WoW
SPH TOTAL –1.6%
SPH FINE DINING –7.9%
SPH UPSCALE CASUAL FLAT FLAT – YoY
YoY SSS TOTAL –3.4%
YoY SSS FINE DINING –4.7%
YoY SSS UPSCALE CASUAL –3.0%
TOTAL COHORT –2.5% WoW
FINE DINING –1.8% WoW
UPSCALE CASUAL –1.7% WoW
SPH TOTAL –1.6%
SPH FINE DINING –7.9%
SPH UPSCALE CASUAL FLAT FLAT – YoY
YoY SSS TOTAL –3.4%
YoY SSS FINE DINING –4.7%
YoY SSS UPSCALE CASUAL –3.0%
TOTAL COHORT –2.5% WoW
FINE DINING –1.8% WoW
UPSCALE CASUAL –1.7% WoW
SPH TOTAL –1.6%
SPH FINE DINING –7.9%
SPH UPSCALE CASUAL FLAT FLAT – YoY
YoY SSS TOTAL –3.4%
YoY SSS FINE DINING –4.7%
YoY SSS UPSCALE CASUAL –3.0%
TOTAL COHORT –2.5% WoW
FINE DINING –1.8% WoW
UPSCALE CASUAL –1.7% WoW
SPH TOTAL –1.6%
SPH FINE DINING –7.9%
SPH UPSCALE CASUAL FLAT FLAT – YoY
YoY SSS TOTAL –3.4%
YoY SSS FINE DINING –4.7%
YoY SSS UPSCALE CASUAL –3.0%
TOTAL COHORT –2.5% WoW
FINE DINING –1.8% WoW
UPSCALE CASUAL –1.7% WoW
SPH TOTAL –1.6%
SPH FINE DINING –7.9%
SPH UPSCALE CASUAL FLAT FLAT – YoY
YoY SSS TOTAL –3.4%
YoY SSS FINE DINING –4.7%
YoY SSS UPSCALE CASUAL –3.0%
TOTAL COHORT –2.5% WoW
FINE DINING –1.8% WoW
UPSCALE CASUAL –1.7% WoW
SPH TOTAL –1.6%
SPH FINE DINING –7.9%
SPH UPSCALE CASUAL FLAT FLAT – YoY
YoY SSS TOTAL –3.4%
YoY SSS FINE DINING –4.7%
YoY SSS UPSCALE CASUAL –3.0%
TOTAL COHORT –2.5% WoW
FINE DINING –1.8% WoW
UPSCALE CASUAL –1.7% WoW
SPH TOTAL –1.6%
SPH FINE DINING –7.9%
SPH UPSCALE CASUAL FLAT FLAT – YoY
YoY SSS TOTAL –3.4%
YoY SSS FINE DINING –4.7%
YoY SSS UPSCALE CASUAL –3.0%
TOTAL COHORT –2.5% WoW
FINE DINING –1.8% WoW
UPSCALE CASUAL –1.7% WoW
SPH TOTAL –1.6%
SPH FINE DINING –7.9%
SPH UPSCALE CASUAL FLAT FLAT – YoY
YoY SSS TOTAL –3.4%
YoY SSS FINE DINING –4.7%
YoY SSS UPSCALE CASUAL –3.0%
Segment performance
Week Ending 24 May 2026
OCCASION DRIVEN
01
Fine Dining
SSS YOY
−4.7%Below prior year
SSS WOW
−1.8%Soft weekly performance
SPH WOW
−7.9%High-value diners held back
SPH YoY (T13W)
+1.8%Spend per guest still growing
High-value occasion diners deferred their bookings ahead of the bank holiday, pulling SPH down sharply this week. The trailing 13-week picture is more encouraging, where guests who do show up are spending more than last year. The gap is not in what they spend. It’s in how often they come.
HOLDING STEADY
02
Upscale Casual
SSS YOY
−3.0%Below prior year
SSS WOW
−1.7%Marginal weekly dip
SPH WOW
FlatSpend per head unchanged
SPH YOY (T13W)
+3.2%Consistent upward trend
Upscale Casual held its ground this week. Casual diners stepping out for the warmer weather helped absorb the absence of high-value occasion guests, keeping the segment relatively stable. The trailing SPH trend is the strongest of any segment, a quiet but consistent positive signal.
SSS & SPH comparison
BY SEGMENT
Week-over-week vs year-over-year change
Performance drivers
SPH ANALYSIS
More guests came out this week, but the mix worked against sales. Casual diners filled the gap left by high-value occasion guests who were saving their plans for the long weekend. The result was more covers at a lower average spend, pushing SSS negative despite stronger footfall.
Observations
Trailing 13 Weeks: 1 March 2026 – 24 May 2026
Trailing Trend (1 March 2026 – 24 May 2026)
Fine Dining SSS declined –4.7% YoY over the trailing 13 weeks:
- Covers down ~6.4% YoY
- Spend per guest up ~1.8%
The guests who show up are spending more than they did last year. The challenge is that fewer of them are showing up. Pricing power is intact, but occasion frequency is not.
−6.4%
trailing covers
decline, Fine Dining
Consumer Behaviour Shift
Fine Dining operators need to focus on the guests who still show up and spend. SPH growth is a signal that the brand has value in the eyes of those diners. The barrier is getting them to commit to a booking rather than putting it off or choosing somewhere else.
Tasting menus, chef’s table formats, and curated event nights give those guests a concrete reason to plan ahead.
The opportunity is not in getting more out of each occasion. It is in creating more occasions worth showing up for.
+3.2%
SPH YoY, Upscale Casual
(strongest gain across all segments)
SPH vs SSS divergence
1 March 2026 – 24 May 2026
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