According to the latest data from the Lumina Intelligence Operator Data Index, the branded pub & bar restaurant segment is expected to total 3,753 sites at Dec 2021. A net loss of -29 sites is expected, a notable slowdown in decline from the -611 across Dec 2018-Dec 2019.
Pub groups including Greene King, Mitchells & Butlers and Marston’s have been refurbishing their managed pub estates in the past few years, transforming some older branded pub restaurant sites into more modern managed venues with a focus on creating more unique establishments.
The top 10 branded pub & bar restaurants by outlets are set to see a decline of -10 net sites in 2021. Chef & Brewer (+3.1%) and The Lounges (+8.6%) are the two brands forecast to experience the fastest growth in 2021.
Despite challenges caused by the pandemic over the past 18 months, Loungers has expressed its ambitions to continue its expansion of +25 sites a year across it’s the Lounges and Cosy Club brands.
Commenting on the results, Senior Insight Manager at Lumina Intelligence, Katherine Prowse, said: “Over the last 18 months, pub and bar restaurants have had to transform the way they operate in order to remain open and survive. This inevitably resulted in casualties, however, with restrictions easing, we expect outlet decline to continue to stabilise versus the steep declines seen in 2018-19. This slight decline will be driven by pub groups continuing to dispose of and transfer sites into unbranded estates.”
