Hospo feeling the heat in “sobering” Restaurant Association survey

7th April 2026 By Staff Reporter | news@propertyticker.co.nz | @propertyticker

The Restaurant Association of New Zealand says nearly all of its members are feeling the impact of the Middle East conflict.

A poll of its members across New Zealand showed only 6% of respondents reported no effect from the Iran war, in what RANZ described as a “sobering” set of survey results.

“For the rest, the pressure is coming from multiple directions,” the association said.

“More than two thirds of you, 67%, are seeing reduced customer numbers and covers — the most commonly cited impact.

“Close behind, 62% are dealing with increased fuel and delivery costs, and 46% with higher food and beverage costs. Reduced spend per customer (44%) and increased cancellations or no-shows (39%) round out the picture.”

When asked how much of this could be attributed to the Middle East conflict, RANZ said “the response was unambiguous”.

“More than 75% said the conflict was either ‘mostly’ or ‘entirely’ responsible for the changes you’re experiencing.

“Customer numbers are also tracking down compared to this time last year. Nearly 70% of you reported covers running either slightly or significantly lower than the same period in 2025, with only 16% reporting improvement.”

Looking ahead, the top concern were rising food and beverage costs, cited by 86% of respondents, followed by reduced customer demand, 80%, and rising fuel and delivery costs, 79%.

“Nearly half of you, 47%, named business viability as a top concern,” the association said.

“On pricing, 80% said you were actively considering adjustments but hadn’t yet acted. Just 7% had already moved on pricing, while 12% had no plans to change.”

RANZ said a theme running through many of the responses was fatigue. 

“We’ve navigated Covid, inflationary pressure, and dire economic environment in 2025, slow recovery — and now here’s another external shock, completely outside our control.

“There are no easy answers, but there are practical steps you can take to protect your margins and reduce your exposure.”

The industry group has outlined seven strategies to help cope, such as rethinking menus and tightening food waste to managing energy costs and pivoting marketing towards domestic diners. Those plans can be read here.