Eat out to help out
[7 August] The hospitality and tourism industry in NI is worth close to £2bn in Northern Ireland, and has been badly hit by the pandemic. The Government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme is welcomed by many restaurant businesses, enticing diners with up to £10 off meals per person, with the bill picked up by the Treasury.
Every Monday – Wednesday in August, diners will have the discount applied to their bill in participating venues, which include high-street QSR chains, coffee shops and pubs.
Across Britain, uptake of the deal appears to be high. Data from retail analyst Springboard showed visits on Monday (3rd August) were up almost 30% from the previous week, while restaurant booking platform Opentable said there was a 10% jump in the number of diners compared with the same day last year. In NI, some businesses are reporting trade was up by as much as 50%.
Typically, there are some critics of the scheme, who have expressed concerns that weekend trade in venues will remain low, and that one month isn’t enough to save many businesses that were forced to close through lockdown.
Despite this, the scheme tempts customers out again and gives them an opportunity to see the safety precautions businesses have put in place, with the hope that confidence in venues rises.
As audiences return to eating out, trust in bars will also continue to build, further increasing audiences on the move. From retail and high street targeting panels, to in-bar advertising on Ambient OOH formats, there are countless opportunities for brands who wish to deliver messaging to the returning customers.
