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- South Africa's restaurant industry thrived in 2023 despite tough economic conditions, with 22.6 million guests having dined at eateries nationwide.
- Factors contributing to the industry's success included a shift to online bookings, advanced planning, larger group reservations during peak seasons, and higher rates of customer reviews.
- According to the 2024 Dineplan Trends Report, about 4.3 million reservations were recorded on the platform.
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Despite tough economic times for many South Africans, the country’s restaurant sector seems to be thriving, having recorded an increase in reservations and seated diners in 2023.
According to the 2024 Dineplan Trends Report, about 4.3 million reservations were recorded on the restaurant reservation platform Dineplan in 2023, with a 27% increase in patrons seated compared to 2022.
Founder and director at Dineplan, Greg Whitfield, said this amounts to about 22.6 million guests at eateries nationwide.
"Additionally, local restaurants served 3% more guests on average in 2023 compared to the preceding year, indicating a positive trend in the industry's resilience and adaptability," he said.
While both customers and businesses faced financial constraints in 2023, Whitfield said it is quite encouraging to see the industry record some green shoots.
"These results are heartening for the industry, especially considering that 2023 was a year marred with financial challenges for both consumers and businesses alike as we navigated rising food and fuel prices, inflation and ongoing bouts of load shedding," he added.
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The company also outlined several factors that influenced the success of the industry in 2023. These include customers moving to online bookings, reservations made in advance, group reservations during peak season, and more.
"We witnessed a decline in telephone bookings, which dropped by 7.5% in 2023. Concurrently, online bookings surged by an impressive 9.3%, with the app experiencing a 50% increase in both users and bookings throughout the year," Whitfield said.
Advanced planning
Customers also notably started making reservations more than a week in advance, with Thursday 12 pm slots being the peak time for planning and making bookings. The preferred time for eating out was Fridays at 18:00.
Group reservations in peak season
The platform also saw an increase to six people per group during the December festive period, as families and businesses gathered at restaurants for various celebrations, including Christmas and year-end functions.
Top reviews
The company also noted a 15% increase in the number of patrons leaving reviews after their dining experience compared to the same period in 2022, highlighting the changing landscape of diner behaviour, with people sharing more feedback online.
Whitfield added:
"The Dineplan platform processes an impressive 25 000 public reviews per month, averaging 808 per day," said Whitfield.
Upfront payment
According to the report, there has been a 42% increase in the volume of booking deposits in 2023 compared to 2022.
"Impressively, the average no-show rate for restaurants using Dineplan software is a mere 1.6%, attributed to automated booking reminders and prepaid deposits," Whitfield added.
Top restaurants
The report also revealed that some of the most booked restaurants on the platform in 2023 include JoyJozi in Johannesburg, which topped the list. This was followed by Chefs Warehouse at Tintswalo Atlantic and Rosetta's Bistro Restaurant Kitchen.
"Restaurants play a positive role in both the upliftment of our country through tourism and job creation while providing our local citizens with a platform to socialise and build community.
"We are pleased to see these positive results year-on-year, which highlights the resilience of our restaurants to navigate a tough operating environment with evolving challenges each year. I look forward to seeing how these numbers and achievements change through 2024," Whitfield said.
