Key takeaways from the 10th anniversary of the Casual Dining Show

By alisonfraser|Sep 23, 2024|9:00 am BST

Last week, the Fourth team headed to the Casual Dining Show, a two-day event at London’s ExCel that allows delegates to meet suppliers, see demos, and catch up with colleagues and friends. This year marked the Casual Dining Show’s 10th anniversary, and, as well as a packed schedule of talks and networking, those who headed to the Fourth booth had a chance to win meals on us at some of our favourite casual dining venues. 

But the team wasn’t just there to make casual dining dreams come true. As well as manning the booth and answering questions on Fourth IQ, our artificial intelligence (AI) built specifically for hospitality, they had the opportunity to attend the show’s three stages and hear what the industry’s best and brightest had to say. For those who missed it, here’s a round-up of some of our highlights from the talks across the show. 

Family dining 

Family dining took centre stage as Jo Lynch, Account Director at KAM, shared some eye-opening statistics about the shift in family dining habits. According to KAM research, families are dining out 37 times less than in 2022 and are more likely to eat out at leisure centres than pub chains.

KAM puts this down to a range of factors. In more popular venues, children’s menus tend to be fun and varied, pricing is competitive, and the atmosphere is more welcoming to families. What can operators do to ensure they remain attractive to families with kids? Healthier menu options, sustainable choices and smaller portions of adult meals are all high priorities for parents. 

Key trends and growth opportunities

Maria Vanifatova, CEO and Founder of Meaningful Vision, also shared proprietary data in her seminar on key trends and growth opportunities for the UK restaurant industry. She noted that consumer traffic had declined since January, something she chalked up to inflation. 

Meaningful Vision stats showed that the market declined 0.8% in the first seven months of the year, with restaurants experiencing a 4% drop. This is in line with Fourth’s latest workforce management findings, which showed restaurant sales were down 3.1% in July 2023 compared to July 2024, while pubs experienced a modest +0.5 sales increase for the same period. 

Maria underscored how unpredictable elements like the weather—July 2024 had 10 sunnier days compared to the previous year—can drive traffic. This insight serves as a reminder for operators to be prepared for demand shifts. Tools like Fourth IQ’s intelligent scheduling can help businesses stay ahead by pulling in external data, such as weather forecasts or local events, to ensure they always have the right amount of staff scheduled. This keeps labour costs under control and ensures you’re prepared to meet volatile customer demand.

What’s next? 

A conversation led by CGA and featuring Karl Chessell (Director Hospitality Operations & Food CGA by Nielsen IQ) and Andrew Hodgson (Client Business Partner, CGA by NielsenIQ) dug further into industry trends on day two. 

They highlighted that it’s not all doom and gloom, and some industry segments have been growing. Yes, cost pressures around labour are weighing on operators, but energy and food and beverage (F&B) costs are now stabilising, which should help buoy optimism across the sector. 

CGA stats also echoed a theme that was the talk of many of the networking events and quieter moments of the Show – that demand from lunchtime diners is rising, and 6pm is the new 8pm when it comes to dinner time demand. 

Five-year plan for casual dining

This focus on changing consumer behaviour was also a theme throughout Simon Stenning’s five-year forecast for the industry. The founder of FutureFoodService, Simon pointed out that a shift in guests’ behaviours and expectations will change the nature of ‘casual’ dining, a segment he doesn’t believe exists anymore. He noted that casual dining experiences are already leaning more towards tailored experiences, rather than convenient, affordable meals, as restaurants adapt to consumers with less disposable income. 

This was such an expansive talk that summarising it in just a few hundred words is all but impossible, but Simon did underscore the increasing role of technology and automation, from kiosks to virtual brands, to deliver for younger customers seeking tech-enabled experiences. This younger generation is also giving rise to a ‘competitive socialising’ trend, integrating entertainment and activity centers with bars and restaurants to deliver a single, blended experience. 

Final thoughts 

The Casual Dining Show delivered on its promise to connect key players and showcase new ideas in the industry. From tackling operational challenges to addressing changing consumer behaviours, the event provided a wealth of actionable insight for operators across the board. 

It was also a valuable opportunity for the Fourth team to meet colleagues, demonstrate our newly released AI capabilities, and get to grips with the trends and opportunities exciting the industry’s leading figures.