UK chicken shops drive fast food growth amid pub sector decline

New data from hospitality research firm Meaningful Vision reveals a polarized performance within the UK foodservice industry. While chicken shops saw a 10.5% increase in footfall during the first half of 2026, other segments struggled. Burger restaurants experienced a decline in customer visits, falling 4% in the second quarter.

The pub sector continues to face significant downward pressure. Despite a sentiment boost from World Cup live screenings, pub footfall fell by 4.8% in June compared to the previous year, and overall customer visits for the second quarter were down by 7%.

Meaningful Vision CEO Maria Vanifatova noted that the broader UK foodservice industry is struggling as rising food and labor costs squeeze profits and consumers reduce the frequency of eating and drinking out. Although June showed a relative improvement that pushed fast food back into positive territory, overall consumer traffic across fast food, casual dining, and pubs declined by 2.1% year-on-year between April and June.