What the World Cup Did for Hospitality This Summer

By Dawn Bannister, Founder and Managing Director, KSB Recruitment

It has been a hard year for hospitality. Rising costs, increased employment legislation, tighter margins and reduced consumer spending have put real strain on businesses of every size. The operators I speak to every week are resilient, they always are, but the pressure has been significant.

So watching what the World Cup did for venues across the country over the past few weeks has been genuinely heartening.

From the first match, venues that had the right team in place started to feel it. Bars fuller than they had been in months. Covers up. A buzz that had been missing for a while suddenly back in the room. And then the heatwave arrived alongside the football and the effect doubled. Beer gardens packed, outdoor dining spaces busy, people out and spending in a way that felt different to the months before.

For an industry that gives so much and does not always get enough back, a few weeks of trading like that matters more than the numbers alone suggest. It reminds people why they do this. It reminds operators what their teams are capable of when everything is firing.

What made the difference

The venues that felt it most were the ones that were ready. When demand surges, whether it is a tournament, a heatwave or a busy events season, the businesses that benefit are the ones with the right people in place before it starts. Not scrambling for cover mid week for a weekend night. Planned, prepared and staffed properly.

It is something we talk about with clients a lot at KSB. The operators who think about their team needs before the pressure arrives consistently have better summers than the ones who react when it is already busy. This World Cup was another reminder of that.

England may be out but the summer is not over

Last night was disappointing. There is no point pretending otherwise.

But August is just around the corner. School holidays, staycation season, events, late nights. The conditions that made the past few weeks so good for hospitality do not disappear because England are out. The question for operators now is whether they are going into August with the team they need or whether they are going to find out the hard way.

What to do now

If the past few weeks have shown you that your team needs reinforcing for the rest of summer, now is the time to act.

Think about where the gaps showed during the tournament. Which shifts were hardest to cover? Which roles were you short on when it got busy? Those are the roles to address before August arrives.

At KSB we have been placing temporary and permanent hospitality staff for 35 years. We know how to move quickly when operators need cover and we know how to find the right person for the long term. If you want to talk through what August looks like for your business, give us a call. We are here to help. 0121 828 9840.