‘Overwhelming’ number of guests satisfied with safety standards

An “overwhelming” number of consumers (94%) who have visited pubs, restaurants and bars in England in the two weeks since reopening were satisfied with the safety steps in venues they visited.

This is according to responses via the ‘We hear you’ initiative, launched by the CGA, UKHospitality and Yumpingo, which designed to gauge consumer feedback and identify ways to increase consumer confidence and footfall.

The research also found that 96% of customers are likely to recommend a visit to friends and family.

While 48% of customers accept their eating and drinking out experience feels “different”, CGA said it is “reassuringly so”.

The research confirms that the level of protection put in place by operators is an important factor when it comes to how confident consumers feel, with 77% of diners stating that they considered the precautionary measures being taken before visiting a venue, while nearly half admitted to pre-visit nerves.

The majority of those that have eaten out since establishments re-opened have stuck to places they know well, with just 14% of consumers trying new places. However, 91% stated that their overall experience made them feel reassured enough to visit again.

UKHospitality CEO Kate Nicholls, said: “We know the next six months will be crucial for hospitality and survival will depend on a concerted and joint effort from everyone within the industry.

“We’ve worked closely with the Government to ensure safe venues upon re-opening and the ‘We hear you’ tool, with help from operators, will ensure their customers are happy, comfortable and more importantly confident that the industry is listening and doing what it can to make them feel safe.”