Fast food traffic returned to growth in June, led by chicken

Fast food visits were 0.9% lower during the first six months of 2026 than in the same period of 2025, however, June saw a 0.3% year on year increase, making it the first month of 2026 in which the sector returned to growth.

The figures from market insight company Meaningful Vision suggest that demand may be starting to stabilise, although the wider fast food market remains under pressure with performance across the quick service industry remaining highly polarised.

While chicken restaurants recorded 10.5% growth in customer visits during Q2, accelerating from 7.3% in Q1, and ethnic quick-service restaurants also saw growth, burger visits moved in the opposite direction, falling by 4.0% in Q2 after a 2.6% decline during the first quarter.

What’s more, only five of the UK’s 13 regions recorded growth in customer visits during the first half of 2026. Four in England: the South East, South West, London and Greater London. Northern Ireland also recorded growth, although at a slower rate than in 2025, when performance was supported by new store openings.

The stronger results in southern regions may have been supported by more consumers choosing UK staycations as the cost of travelling abroad increased.

Restaurant price inflation continued to significantly exceed inflation in food and beverage retail, with menu prices 6.8% higher year on year, four times the Office for National Statistics food and beverage inflation rate of 1.7%.

Delivery menu prices rose faster than in-store prices, increasing by 7.2%, compared with 6.6% for purchases made directly from outlets.

Price growth also varied considerably across menu categories during Q2. Lunch deal prices increased by 2.2%, while pizza prices rose by 3.1%.

By comparison, extras and dips, savoury bakery products and hot drinks recorded increases ranging from 8% to 11%.

These figures show how food and beverage trends are evolving unevenly across products, channels and occasions. Although restaurant price growth began to slow from March, consumers are still paying considerably more than they were a year ago.

Commenting on the findings, Maria Vanifatova, CEO of Meaningful Vision, said: “The start of the World Cup provided a sentiment boost and filled pubs for live screenings, but the uplift was not strong enough to reverse the broader downward trend for the sector. More widely, the UK foodservice industry is still struggling, as consumers reduce how often they eat and drink out, while food and labour costs continue to rise, putting significant pressure on profits.

“February and April were the toughest periods for the industry, with a decline of almost 3% across the fast-food, restaurant and pub market. But June did bring a relative improvement across all sub-sectors, pushing fast food back into positive territory. The hope will be that this can continue into the second half of the year, with price growth beginning to stabilise.

“The industry asked the government to reduce taxes and, in response, received a temporary VAT reduction on kids’ meals and a reduction in business rates for pubs. Although these measures are unlikely to have a major impact, as many restaurants already offer free or discounted kids’ menus, operators are using them as an opportunity to offer better value to customers, which may encourage more footfall to return.”