New restaurants are popping up across Birmingham - but many don’t last. In this report, we speak to insiders about whether the city’s hospitality scene is built to last, or just chasing short-term hype.
00:00You don't have to walk far in central Birmingham to spot a brand new restaurant, cafe or cocktail bar,
00:06but not all of them stay open for long.
00:08While footfall is down, new openings are still on the rise,
00:12and many independents say they're struggling to keep up.
00:15Rising costs, high staff turnover, and the pressure to be visually insta-ready
00:20means it's harder than ever to build something sustainable.
00:23So are we building a lasting food identity, or chasing hype?
00:28I think there's so much competition in the market at the moment.
00:31Every time there's a new restaurant that comes to the city,
00:33they're going to have to really try and stand out to the crowd.
00:36So if that's not a food or new food concept, it's definitely the look of the restaurant.
00:41So I've seen over the past couple of years, every time a new restaurant opens in the city,
00:45they're trying to outdo each other time and time again to be the most visually and aesthetically pleasing.
00:51And in today's age of Instagram and TikTok,
00:54and people want to show up all the great things that they're doing in the city,
00:57that's become more and more commonplace.
00:59The numbers tell a sobering story.
01:02For every flashy launch, there's acquired closure.
01:05In 2024, the UK lost just as many hospitality venues as it gained.
01:10Independents often can't match the marketing budgets or rental power of national brands.
01:15The question is, are we losing our local identity in the process?
01:19I think it's really hard for an independent to compete with a big national,
01:22because if you're a national chain and you've got 20 outlets,
01:25the buying power is much, much more comes into play when they're looking at their margins for their food costs.
01:32Obviously, everyone that's working wants to be paid well.
01:35And, you know, if they've got good career progression in a bigger brand,
01:38they're more likely to retain good staff and then develop that better customer service.
01:42But ultimately, when they're buying product and they're buying, you know, meat or vegetable or drinks in bulk,
01:48if you're buying for 20 venues, you're obviously going to get a better price than your small little one venue that you may have in the city centre.
01:56Ghost kitchens and dark kitchens exploded during lockdown and in some ways they've stuck around.
02:03It's now easier than ever to launch a delivery-only brand with a good logo and a few social posts.
02:08But what does that mean for bricks and mortar businesses?
02:12Some argue these trends help level the playing field.
02:15Others say they cannibalise the market and put further pressure on dining spaces already stretched to the limit.
02:22I've got mixed feelings about ghost kitchens.
02:23I think they help in some places.
02:25So you've got a Chinese takeaway in Birmingham that's really, really popular.
02:28And so you want to, you know, service customers in Solihull.
02:32Then if you've got a ghost kitchen there, then that's very, very helpful.
02:35But I think if you're a really good foodie, you want to have that fresh, homemade, bespoke dish that you get in many of the finer restaurants.
02:44So while it's okay for, you know, a fast food chicken or a pizza place, if you're going to a proper restaurant dining, you know, it's all about the experience.
02:52So, you know, those kinds of places don't really, it wouldn't, with ghost kitchens wouldn't help that in the wider element of things.
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