Hospitality bounces back to $13.4b, takeaways up

Hospitality bounces back to $13.4b, takeaways up
Staffing shortages are still hospitality's No 1 issue. (Image: BusinessDesk)
Brent Melville
New Zealanders' taste for fast food was further entrenched by covid lockdowns over the past two years, leading the way to a 10.7% increase in hospitality spending to $13.4 billion for the 12 months to September.This compares to $12.1b for the comparable pre-covid spend in 2019 and is up 7.7% – or roughly the rate of inflation over the past year – on last year's $12.4b. The big winner is takeaway food services.The latest sales survey by the 2,500-member Restaurant Association shows the lion's share of spending, at $6...