When the Sun Comes Out… Is It a Blessing or a Challenge for Hospitality?

For most of the year, we spend our time hoping for sunshine.

Then it finally arrives… and suddenly hospitality has a whole new set of challenges to deal with.

On paper, hot weather should be fantastic for our industry. Beer gardens are full, ice cream sales soar, festivals are packed and everyone wants to be outside enjoying themselves.

But the reality is far more complicated.

Analysis by hospitality data platform Tenzo, looking at more than 20,000 trading days across five UK heatwaves, found that only one of those heatwaves delivered a clear uplift in hospitality sales overall. Outdoor venues generally benefited, while many indoor venues actually saw sales fall.

It raises an interesting question: is a heatwave really good for hospitality, or does it simply change where and how people spend their money?

One of the biggest challenges isn't customers, it's looking after the people serving them.

Imagine spending eight hours in a busy kitchen where temperatures can already exceed 40°C before the sun has even done its work. Add a heatwave into the mix and it becomes physically exhausting. Front-of-house teams are running drinks all day, housekeeping teams are cleaning rooms in sweltering conditions, and event staff are on their feet from morning until late at night.

Great hospitality only happens because of great people, and extreme weather is a reminder that looking after your team has to come first.

This summer, the Health and Safety Executive reminded employers that they have a legal duty to manage the risks posed by extreme heat, encouraging businesses to provide drinking water, suitable rest breaks and make sensible adjustments where needed.

Sometimes it's as simple as making sure everyone stays hydrated.

Sometimes it means rotating staff more regularly, adding extra breaks, providing cooling areas, relaxing uniform policies or simply asking people how they're coping.

For example, in my establishment, we allowed the team to wear shorts for those hotter days to try and keep slightly cooler.

Happy teams create happy guests.

The weather also changes customer behaviour almost overnight.

Beer gardens become the busiest seats in the building while indoor restaurants can suddenly feel empty. Hotels in coastal destinations thrive, city centres often quieten during the hottest part of the day before filling up again in the evening, and attractions with outdoor space see a surge in visitors.

Heatwaves don't necessarily create more customers, they simply move them.

The challenge for operators is predicting where those customers will be and making sure you've got the right people, stock and service ready to meet demand.

And then there's the guest experience itself.

As temperatures climb, expectations rise too.

Nobody wants to queue in direct sunlight. Nobody enjoys waiting for a drink when they're already thirsty. Guests remember whether there was shade available, whether the venue felt cool and comfortable, whether they were offered water and whether the team still managed to smile despite working in difficult conditions.

Interestingly, while some pubs and outdoor venues enjoy bumper trade during heatwaves, some hospitality businesses have also seen bookings fall significantly as customers cancel plans, stay at home or simply decide it's too hot to go out.

There really isn't a one-size-fits-all answer.

So what's the takeaway?

As much as we all focus on looking after our guests, this week's heatwave has been a reminder that we need to look after our teams too.

Working in hospitality is physically demanding at the best of times. Add temperatures pushing 30°C, hot kitchens, busy terraces and long shifts on your feet, and it's easy to see why people can become exhausted.

Whether it's making sure staff have regular breaks, plenty of water, a chance to cool down or simply checking in on how they're doing, these small things make a big difference.

I've always believed that happy staff create happy customers. If your team feels supported, they're far more likely to deliver the brilliant service your guests remember.

The sunshine will eventually disappear, this is Britain after all, but the way we look after our people shouldn't. If there's one lesson to take from this week's heatwave, it's that investing in your team is just as important as looking after your guests