Punch debuts new initiative to bring children's artwork to life
Punch Pubs & Co has introduced a new "unique initiative" using Augmented Reality (AR) to bring children's artwork to life.
Technology
PubAid new platform shows 'invaluable ways' pubs support communities
PubAid has launched a new platform dedicated to celebrating the essential role pubs play as lifelines in their communities to mark World Mental Health Day (Thursday 10 October).
FEATURE - Tech and reservations
FEATURE: Increase your footfall with the best bookings systems
Technology is changing the way we work, communicate, socialise and even the way we eat and drink.
Stonegate MiXR app hits 1m downloads
Stonegate’s MiXR app has hit 1m downloads and seen £1.8m in points redeemed since it was launched just nine months ago.
4.9% uplift in July consumer spending
Pubs, bars and clubs saw a rise of 4.9% last month (July) – the sector’s highest growth since January.
Greene King unveils first super-fast charging hub for electric vehicles
Pub operator and brewer Greene King has introduced its first super-fast electric vehicle (EV) charging facility.
The LTC reveals new website and podcast series
The Licensed Trade Charity (LTC) has invested in its digital communication resources and launched a brand-new website as well as a new podcast series.
Xmas bookings already up 54%
Christmas bookings for the 2024 festive period are already up by more than half (54%) compared to last year, new insight has found.
Microsoft crash: worldwide tech issues hit pubs and bars
A major global tech failure left the hospitality industry experiencing uncertainty on Friday 19 July, as card machines, discount codes and apps crashed throughout the sector. Businesses are slowly recovering, however experts warn it may take weeks for...
May sees 2.9% spending rise
Consumer spending in pubs, bars and clubs grew by 2.9% in May, new data has revealed.
The Lock In Podcast
Are you being served?
Customer service is key to making your business a success, in the season finale, the Lock In takes a closer look at a key aspect that can make or break a pub.
Pubs urged to embrace AI to 'futureproof' sector
Pubs need to dive headfirst into embracing technology, in particular AI, to “futureproof” themselves and be prepared to fulfil the needs of the next generation of customers.
Top 5 reasons for no-shows
One in five hospitality guests fail to turn up for a reservation because they booked multiple venues to ensure they would get in somewhere.
Long waits and cold food pubgoers biggest gripes
Some 91% of hospitality consumers cited a long wait for food or drink and hot food being served cold were their biggest bugbears when eating and drinking out, research has revealed.
Spending up more than 4%
The hospitality and leisure sector saw a rise in consumer spending of 4.1% in April, according to new figures.
Nation's favourite TV pub revealed
The nation’s favourite pub has been revealed thanks to new research from insurance provider Simply Business.
March consumer spending up 3.2%
FA Cup fixtures, the Six Nations tournament and St Patrick’s Day helped drive a 3.2% rise in consumer spending last month (March) up from 1.1% in February, according to reports.
OPINION
OPINION: Mum’s the word
During the past 10 years, we have been trying to get Mother’s Day right and I am still not sure we have.
FEATURE - Technology
FEATURE: Finding the right tech to fit your pub
Pub operators everywhere are facing challenging times but choosing the right technology solutions can help your business to survive – and even thrive.
TNT Sports seals four-year deal to screen FA Cup matches
Sports fans will be able to watch the Emirates FA Cup from the first round to the final at the pub after TNT Sports secured a four-year screening deal that will start in the 2025-26 season.
Operators urged to be well-prepared for tipping legislation
Businesses need to be ahead of the game with the new tipping legislation, which is set to come into force this summer.
Access Hospitality acquires Wireless Social
Access Hospitality, a division of The Access Group, has acquired Wireless Social, the UK’s leading provider of guest wi-fi, analytics and marketing solutions.
Festive parties push spending up by almost 8%
Consumer spending at pubs, bars and clubs was up by 7.9% in December, thanks to Christmas parties and gatherings, research has found.
Pub accommodation predicted to grow in 2024
Pubs with rooms website Stay In A Pub has predicted pub accommodation to grow in 2024 after it reported a 50% increase in voucher sales over the Christmas period.
Tech investment high on agenda of hospitality leaders for 2024
Three in five hospitality leaders plan to invest in new technology solutions in 2024 – with employees being their main area of focus.
Draw more customers with knockout boxing event
Pubs will potentially have the chance to gain extra footfall on the night before Christmas Eve when a huge night of boxing can be screened.
Popular Xmas party dates ‘will help push sales up to £12bn’
Hospitality is set to benefit from a £12bn boost during the festive period when 40m-plus people eat and drink out as the most popular dates for Christmas parties have been revealed.
Home-hunters can now pick property based on proximity to pub
Useyourlocal, the UK’s largest online audience of people looking to go to the pub, has joined forces with property website Zoopla to help home-hunters pick a new property based on the proximity to their local pub.
Spending up but consumers 'cutting back' ahead of Xmas
Spending in pubs and bars grew 5.9% in the year to October, data from Barclaycard has revealed.
Career change considered by 42% of industry staff
More than two in five workers in the hospitality sector are considering a career outside the industry despite job satisfaction levels increasing ‘significantly’ during the past 12 months.
Could appealing to film and TV fans boost sales?
Using TV and films to draw customers in at pubs has respectively increased sales and boosted footfall at 87% and 82% of pubs, according to new research.
1 in 12 consumers prepared to pay more at busier times
Some 8% of consumers would be willing to pay more to eat and drink out during peak times, new research has revealed.
Promotional content
Brewfitt's top 5 energy-saving products for dispense
In today's environmentally conscious world, reducing energy consumption is not only a noble endeavour but also a smart one, especially for businesses in the hospitality industry.
FEATURE - Technology
FEATURE: How tech can free up time for your staff
Times are tough right now. Pub and bar operators are being hit from all sides with consumers tightening their belts, struggles over recruitment and costs soaring across the board.
Confidence high despite costs and staffing issues
Optimism among hospitality bosses has risen for the third quarter in a row despite pressure on consumers’ disposable income.
GREEN INITIATIVE
Solar panels – are they worth installing?
Solar panels can be a significant investment but what is the process around getting them installed? We’ve spoken with operators who have them in place at their sites to find out their experiences.
Gov urged to allow early Sunday opening for World Cup final
The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) is among many in the industry to call on the Government to allow pubs to serve beer from 10am this Sunday so both pubs and customers can benefit from England reaching the Women’s World Cup final.
Bid to make getting home safely after pub visits
New research has found 57% of women in the UK are more likely to visit the pub to watch football following success of the England Lionesses.
Sector sees ‘boost’ as card spending up 7.6% in July
Consumer spending at bars, pubs and clubs in the year to July was up 7.6%, new data from Barclaycard has revealed.
Threads: a guide for pubs
Threads, a new social media app from Facebook’s parent company Meta, amassed more than 150m downloads in just two weeks after launching earlier this month.
Growing consumer interest in tech during visits
While most consumers (55%) believe a balance between technology and human interaction provides the best experience in the on-trade, there has been a change in attitude towards digital solutions, new research has found.
Access Hospitality acquires ResDiary
Access Hospitality, part of the Access Group, has announced the acquisition of ResDiary – a provider of bookings and table management software to clients in the hospitality sector.
The Cask Project
VIDEO FEATURE: Quality time at Greene King
Greene King quality control manager Susan Chisholm has worked for Suffolk-based brewer and pub operator Greene King for 45 years so she knows a lot more than most in the business.
80% of pubs would not bill customers for electricity
More than three-quarters of operators don’t think pubs should start charging customers for using electricity to charge electronic devices.
The Cask Project
Extending the life of cask beer
One of the biggest challenges around delivering an epic cask offer remains shelf life, so the ability to extend the lifespan of what is a quintessentially British product could be just the silver bullet the category needs.
Poll: should pubs charge customers for electricity?
Despite pressure surrounding energy costs in the on-trade, allowing customers to charge phones at pubs should be a “value added service” and charging them to do so would be “counterproductive”, according to operators from across the sector.
Fees of third-party sites prompt 31% guests to book direct
Pubgoers are falling out of love with third-party booking platforms, which incur ‘intolerable’ costs for venues, and are instead opting to book direct, new research has revealed.
Foodservice inflation jumps back above 20%
Year-on-year foodservice inflation has jumped up to 21.4% after slowing at the end of March – the first time it had dropped below 20% since mid-2022.
Feature – competitive socialising
FEATURE: Bring your ‘A’ game to command a greater spend per head
The on-trade has always been an escape for the hard-working UK population and it has managed to adapt throughout the years to give people what they want.
Inside drinks and gaming bar NQ64's 10th site
Arcade bar NQ64 has launched its biggest site to date and the first of its 10 locations to offer food. Here are some pictures to show you what to expect there.