Fast-food rises as restaurant visits drop 6.8% in 2025
Expansion of outlets drove fast-food growth.
Visits to restaurants and pubs dropped 6.8% in 2025, whilst fast-food footfall edged up 0.9%, according to data from Meaningful Vision.
Growth in the fast-food sector was largely driven by new openings rather than higher demand.
Outlet numbers rose by almost 2%, masking a 1% fall in like-for-like visits once the impact of expansion was removed.
Bakeries led new store openings, with Greggs opening more sites than any other fast-food brand.
Popeyes was the fastest-growing chain in percentage terms as it continued to roll out across the UK.
Performance differed widely by segment. Chicken chains saw the strongest growth, with footfall up 5.9% year-on-year (YoY).
Coffee shops followed with a 3.6% increase, whilst bakery and sandwich outlets grew by 2.6%.
Other categories lost ground. Visits to burger chains fell 2.9%, and ethnic fast-food formats declined 1.6%, amidst tougher competition and greater price sensitivity.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that food and beverage prices rose 4.5% YoY between December 2024 and December 2025, equivalent to a 1.2% increase over the calendar year.
Fast-food prices rose more sharply, up 7.7% YoY to December and 2.6% over 2025—more than twice the pace of retail price inflation.
This reflects higher operating costs in foodservice, particularly labour, which can account for up to 35% of costs, alongside increased business rates and higher ingredient prices.
Rising beef costs appear to have driven the largest menu price increases at burger chains, at around 10% YoY, compared with pizza chains, where prices rose by about 3%.
“We believe the rise of premium fast food, at the expense of casual dining, is a long-term trend that will continue to play out this year and into 2027,” said Maria Vanifatova, CEO and founder of Meaningful Vision.
