The Hospitality Dashboard is a quarterly snapshot of the industry, covering key data, initiatives led by the industry over the quarter, member commentary, future considerations and the common pain points.
In the 2nd Quarter of 2026:
Most regular feedback:
- Costs outpacing revenue — Increases in food, wages, rent, fuel surcharges and other operating costs continue to erode margins, even where sales are slightly ahead of last year.
- Caution around menu prices — Businesses remain reluctant to pass rising costs on to customers while discretionary spending is subdued.
- Mounting regulatory costs — Council charges, licensing fees and regulatory levies are becoming increasingly difficult to absorb alongside other rising business costs.
- Health and wellbeing — Forty per cent of owners say their health and wellbeing is currently worse than usual, while 44 per cent say it is about where it normally sits.
- Experienced staff remain difficult to find — Overall staffing levels have improved, but businesses are still finding it challenging to recruit experienced chefs, managers and other senior staff.
Actions led by the industry this month:
- Advocacy
www.restaurantnz.co.nz/advocacy
The Association provided feedback on employment leave reform, fuel prioritisation, the Hospitality Sector Review, the Tourism Policy Statement, modern slavery legislation and the review of food safety qualifications. - Hospitality Summit 2026
Following the Hospitality Summit held at Parliament in March, we continued consulting with the industry to confirm and prioritise its recommendations. These will provide a practical programme of work across regulation, workforce, tourism, business capability and other industry priorities. - Hospitality Sector Review
We engaged with the Ministry for Regulation on its review of hospitality regulation, including targeted discussions about food safety and the alcohol licensing system. - Tourism and the MICHELIN Guide
We advocated for hospitality, culinary tourism and regional food experiences to be strongly recognised in the Government’s Tourism Policy Statement. We also began engaging with the industry on how Aotearoa can make the most of the opportunities created by the inaugural MICHELIN Guide. - Member support and professional development
Our Helpline responded to 753 member enquiries during Q2, and the Association delivered 12 industry-specific workshops and webinars. - Workforce development
A total of 149 people completed Hospo Start employment-readiness training during the year to June. We also delivered two Service Start pilots and introduced 67 secondary students to hospitality through Hospo KickStart. - Online LCQ launched
We launched our online Licence Controller Qualification, making it easier for hospitality workers throughout Aotearoa to complete training around their work commitments. - ResilienceOS released
ResilienceOS was launched to provide hospitality leaders and teams with practical mental health, wellbeing and workplace-culture resources. - Kai Keepers national rollout
Planning progressed for the national rollout of Kai Keepers, following a pilot in which participating businesses achieved a 16.4 per cent reduction in food waste per cover.