According to research from global table management system ResDiary, the latest data shows an expected increase in revenue this year, with an average of 20 per cent expected across three quarters of all owners and operators.
ResDiary’s Beyond the Booking: Australia and New Zealand Hospitality Industry Report 2025 relied on a variety of sources, which identify both projected growth and areas that could do with improvement.
Four key takeaways are:
1. A predicted 20 per cent ‘revenue surge’
The report showed that 76 per cent of hospitality businesses expect to increase their revenue this year, and of those businesses, the average expected increase would amount to 20 per cent.
The level of optimism is due to a rise in demand for dining – approximately a quarter of diners reporting an increased desire to dine out more often than last year – along with a rise in new venue openings (17 per cent this year compared to only ten per cent last year).
Further, last year almost one fifth of venues across Australia and New Zealand extended their opening days, while around a quarter of venues extended their opening hours.
2. Lunch is more popular than dinner
The report shows that lunch is now the most common meal out. This result shows the importance of paying close attention to lunch offerings, which can help increase traffic at this time.
3. No-shows are still a challenge
More than half of all venues were impacted by no-shows last year, with a cost for each impacted venues of over $4,000 or $80 million, across both Australia and New Zealand.
4. Convenience remains a high priority for diners
Last year, 38 per cent of diners chose to make reservations directly via the venue’s website. The data shows 21 per cent of diners would prioritise a different venue if they couldn’t book through the venue’s website, with 14 per cent ignoring the venue altogether.
ResDiary, which was recently acquired by The Access Group’s Hospitality Front of House division, is pleased to see the positive change for the industry.
General Manager of Hospitality Asia Pacific at The Access Group, Louise Daley, welcomed the good news.
“Between food prices, labour costs, increased rents and rates, alongside cost-of-living pressures, hospitality venues have been suffering for years,” Daley said. “Our industry is resilient, and it’s great to see the optimism and the ‘tables starting to turn’ in their favour.
“ResDiary’s latest report identifies some good news for the hospitality industry, but it also identifies some important challenges that these businesses are yet to overcome like the true cost of no-shows.”
