‘We’re bringing rush-hour lunch back from the dead’: Restaurants see popularity of fast food soar this year

A few decades ago, the business lunch was an important part of the negotiation process.

Long meals, often with lots of alcohol, became a staple of working in the City or in the media, but a shift in workplace culture meant they quickly fell out of favour.

The pandemic turned out to be the final death sentence.

The hospitality industry, faced with the impact of working from home, was hit by the cost of living crisis, which reduced the number of customers.

Now, there are some spurts of growth as more people return to the office and business lunches begin to make a comeback.

Opentable figures show a rise in lunchtime dining across the UK, with a 9 per cent increase at 12 noon and an 11 per cent increase at 1pm between January and June, compared to the same period last year.

Laure Bornet, Opentable’s vice president of international growth, said: “The rise in lunchtime dining compared to last year in the UK highlights the impact that flexible working hours could have, whether it’s driving people to take part in more face-to-face business lunches, dine out more during their lunch breaks or opt for more lunchtime specials.”

‘We’re bringing back the business lunch’

Andrew Gray, who founded Plume wine bar in Covent Garden six years ago, is also experiencing a lunchtime boom.

The bar has seen an increase in appetite from customers looking for both business and pleasure, with a third of them being regular customers.

‘We have a mixed demographic of people who come here. There are city workers and lawyers from Chancery Lane, theatre-goers, shoppers, local residents… people from the hospitality industry too.

“People come out to feel something. They come out to say that this makes me feel better than when I was at home.”

Or even better than the office. Plume hopes to capitalize on the return to the office by trying to revive the business lunch hour.

‘As people go back to work, we’re trying to create a slightly tongue-in-cheek idea for people to enjoy a really fun and lively lunch instead of going to Pret.

‘Pret is amazing at what it does, but how do we get people to gather around a table in a fun, relaxed environment to get out of the office for a while?’

The response has been to reintroduce a “power hour” lunch that will run Monday to Friday from 12pm to 3pm.

The deal, which is set at £14, includes a sandwich or flatbread with chips or a salad and a glass of wine.

Plume promises to serve all items within an hour and if service exceeds that time, customers will receive a complimentary glass of wine.

Plume’s food director, Rob Wade, said: ‘There is a noticeable shift among the younger demographic, who are showing a preference for moderation in alcohol consumption, with a trend towards lower alcohol lunches.

‘However, thank goodness, the appreciation for a top-shelf cocktail or a glass of fine wine with lunch persists.’

The return to the office doesn’t guarantee that customers will flock to Plume, or any restaurant, but a £14 lunch with a glass of wine may be more tempting than spending the equivalent on a sandwich, chips and a drink.

Rob says: ‘In terms of pricing, we’ve been quite generous.

‘We are part of the community, we want this to work, we want people to discover us.

‘There is no magic formula to selling good food at a low price, it just works as a complete package for us…’

Andrew acknowledges that habits have changed since the pandemic: “People are more demanding, but they spend more… It depends a lot on each place. Now you have to be very reactive, think creatively… people don’t want something stale.”

Other restaurants are adopting similar tactics, with fine-dining restaurants, which have been hit particularly hard during the cost-of-living crisis, offering lunch deals at reduced prices.

Pavyllon at the Michelin-starred Four Seasons offers “five courses in 55 minutes” for £55.50 on weekdays.

Angela Hartnett’s one-star Murano restaurant offers two- or three-course lunches that can reportedly be served in less than an hour.