Research reveals how much restaurant and pub spending increased in Northampton when indoor hospitality reopened

A card payment provider has analysed spending separately for restaurants and pubs
Town centre restaurants saw a huge spending increase when indoor hospitality was allowed to reopen.Town centre restaurants saw a huge spending increase when indoor hospitality was allowed to reopen.
Town centre restaurants saw a huge spending increase when indoor hospitality was allowed to reopen.

As lockdown restrictions eased, we were all keen to get back to eating out at restaurants and pubs, especially when we were allowed indoors.

So it is clear that spending would have risen, but just how much of an increase did indoor hospitality venues in Northampton see?

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Card payments provider, Dojo, has analysed transaction data between May 17 to May 23 to find out how much sales increased during the first week that pubs and restaurants fully reopened.

Nationally, there was a huge 49 percent increase in restaurant spending compared to when only outdoor dining was available.

And total spend for the past week was found to be 17 percent higher than an average week in July 2020, when restaurants were open between lockdowns.

In Northampton, the research found that restaurant spending was up 56 percent in the first week that indoor dining reopened compared to the week prior when only outdoor dining was allowed.

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Of the UK towns and cities that had the largest increase in spending on restaurant dining, Northampton ranked 41st.

Similarly, the town ranked 38th in the top locations where spending increased in pubs after indoor hospitality reopened, with a 37 percent increase compared to the week prior.

Jon Knott, head of customer insights at Dojo said: “After over a year of lockdowns and restrictions, it is no wonder that we’re eager to get back to normality, and for some of us, this includes going out for dinner at the local restaurant.

“Indoor hospitality's return has allowed a number of small businesses to reopen their doors, after many have been excluded from the easing of restrictions since April 12.

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“As the English summer approaches, pub-goers are able to flip between indoor and outdoor seating so restaurants and pubs are trying to limit customer contact points where possible.

“It’s great to see the hospitality industry picking back up and we hope to see small businesses flourish throughout the summer months.”

Find out more about independent Northampton restaurants that were finally able to reopen in May in our guide here.

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