Why Australia's on-premise should be focusing on traditionally off-nights

According to the latest Australian booking data collected this year by SevenRooms, the current most popular night to dine out is Monday, claiming 16.6% of all reservations.

“We’re seeing a huge trend towards people visiting restaurants on evenings not typically considered ‘peak’ nights,” said Paul Hadida, SevenRooms’ APAC GTM Managing Director.

“Monday, forever considered the industry ‘night off’, now is one of the busiest nights for reservations.” 

This change has partly occurred due to changes to the overall work week structure, allowing greater schedule flexibility. According to Paul Hadida, accommodating the needs of these patrons presents a valuable opportunity for customers. 

“With a rise in hybrid and remote work, people are no longer bound by the ‘traditional’ work week, seeking new days to meet with friends and be a part of their local communities,” he said. 

“Addressing the needs of these diners, hospitality venues are now open on days they might have historically been closed - like Mondays. Venues are also looking for new ways to attract, entertain and retain their customers, offering experiences, upgrades and perks that help them stand out.”

Despite traditionally being a night off for hospitality trade, the recent findings are reflective of long-term google search trends in Australia which have seen year-on-year searches for ‘restaurants open Monday night near me’ and ‘cafes open on Monday near me’ increase 152% and 50% respectively. 

Interestingly, SevenRooms has found that younger generations are continuing to dine out frequently in spite of ongoing and developing economic pressures. 

Hadida said that, “while economic pressures are impacting consumer behaviour, younger generations of Australians are dining out frequently, making restaurants a more regular part of their weekly routine: a 'third place' outside of their home or workplace. 

“Venues prioritising their guest experience, through personalisation, convenience and value, will ensure their guests are seen and heard, leading to long-time brand ambassadors not just one-time guests.”

SevenRooms, the global leader in hospitality marketing and operations services, collated tens of thousands of reservations at Australian venues using SevenRooms so far this year to determine the above findings. It also established 6pm as the preferred time for Monday reservations.

Earlier this year, Drinks Trade sat down with Paul Hadida to discuss the increasingly relevancy of guest experience and retention technologies, what on-premise venues should be improving upon, and what it is that SevenRooms offers. Read that conversation here.