16th December 2024
The impact of Belfast Restaurant Week, which took place this past October, has today been revealed. An independent business survey, carried out by CARD Group Research & Insight amongst venue managers and owners, found that almost 4 in 5 participating venues (78 per cent) experienced increased footfall, whilst almost 2 in 3 (62 per cent) reported increased revenues during the week-long event. Where revenues did rise, they did so significantly, with the average increase in takings for the week up by 24 per cent.
Guillaume Rabillat, owner of 44 Hill St said, “Belfast Restaurant Week is an event the industry looks forward to year-on-year. It’s a chance to welcome new and existing customers and showcase our quality offering, but it also brings the industry together and allows us to collectively reflect on what a special role we play in the local economy. We’re really pleased to have participated this year -we found that moving beyond the offer-led format allowed us to include wider experiences. This is important in ensuring consumers understand what makes our venue unique which encourages customer loyalty.”
The event which is led by the Belfast City’s three business improvement districts – Belfast One, LQ BID & CQ BID – has been running since 2018. This year, it took on a new, less price-focused format that focused on celebrating the world-renowned food and hospitality experiences that Belfast venues are known for.
As Chris McCracken, Managing Director of LQ BID explains, the transformation allowed more venues to get involved.
He said, “It’s really positive to see that the new experience-led format has had the desired response from the industry. Our post-event research further highlights this with 4 in 5 venues reporting that the new approach was the reason they got involved. All in all, Belfast Restaurant Week provided 105 experiences across 59 of Belfast’s most loved and exciting hospitality hotspots from tasting menus to cocktail masterclasses to food pairings to demonstrations. The purpose of the week is to support the industry by encouraging people to explore and discover the dynamic food and drink offering our city has to offer.”
Damien Corr, Manager at CQ BID, echoed Chris’s thoughts and said, “This year’s fresh concept has supported our valued hospitality industry to unlock more opportunities to connect with consumers. Belfast is an exceptional performer when it comes to food and drink. It’s home to some of the world’s best talent and produce in the world – a mighty combination. However, the restaurant industry is facing challenges, with rising operational costs and staff shortages, so this creative concept gives diners a compelling reason to dine out and support the industry.”
The CARD research also found that more than half (53 per cent) of the participating venues saw a change in customer demographics during the event, with many attracting new customers. A mix of venues based right across the city centre took part including Berts Jazz Bar, Mourne Seafood, Tetto, The Europa Hotel, Margot, Coppi, Roam, and James St.
Martina Connolly, CEO of Belfast One, said this year’s instalment demonstrated the important role of BIDs. She said, “The Belfast food scene is both vibrant and resilient with new venues such as Amelia Hall, Nova and mrDeanes showcasing remarkable creativity and passion this year. The city centre’s three BIDs are collectively committed to ensuring that Belfast remains a thriving and vibrant city. Part of this work involves identifying opportunities that can support the hospitality sector, and as proven this year, Belfast Restaurant Week makes a significant contribution in this area. We look forward to continuing to work with the industry to support its performance.”
Meanwhile, an additional survey was carried out amongst consumers who attended Belfast Restaurant Week 2024. It found that 89 per cent of people would not have visited a restaurant when they did, had the event not been taking place, further demonstrating the impact of the platform.
To keep up to date with future announcements from Belfast Restaurant Week visit belfastrestaurantweek.org.
