The UK hospitality industry is tentatively reopening with social-distancing measures following months of closure due to the coronavirus lockdown. World Coffee Portal, in partnership with Alpro, gathered insight from 211 UK café and coffee shops to better understand the impact of the lockdown and what the road to recovery could look like

A deserted high street in Leeds, UK, at the height of the coronavirus lockdown in late-March 2020

The results of the Coronavirus Impact Study reveal the difficult situation that UK coffee shops are currently facing and the uncertainty about the future of their businesses. Below are some of the key findings of the report, which is free to download here.

  • 92% of coffee shop operators temporarily closed all (82%) or some (10%) venues
  • 87% said the coronavirus pandemic has negatively impacted their business
  • The majority of coffee shop operators changed their trading model or patterns in response to the pandemic: 70% switched to take-away only; 67% reduced trading hours; 57% reduced their menu; 53% switched to cashless payment only
  • 3 out of 4 participants believe that the pandemic will majorly impact their business in the short term and 35% believe it will take two or more years for business operations to return to normal
  • 8 out of 10 owners are worried about future business viability, while other concerns include immediate cashflow (65%) and inability to pay rent (50%)
  • The majority of participants believe that long-term social distancing (76%) and lower customer footfall (72%) will be the key changes in customer behaviour as a result of this crisis, leading to further pressure on their businesses

For further information on the study or to find out how World Coffee Portal can help your business during the recovery, contact Tobias Pearce tpearce@allegra.co.uk