The 2025 Q4 Hospitality Sales Snapshot provides top line sales statistics on the hospitality industry.
In the fourth quarter of 2025 New Zealand’s hospitality sector recorded $4.43 billion in sales, marking 4.3 per cent year-on-year growth. After years that have been brutal for many in our industry (and 2025 one of the hardest on record), it’s worth taking a moment then to acknowledge that the numbers are finally starting to move in the right direction
The café and restaurant sector held a 49.3 per cent share of total industry sales in the fourth quarter, with revenue of $2.18 billion — up 5.1 per cent year-on-year.
The country’s regional spread tells quite different stories this quarter. Queenstown-Lakes had an exceptional summer, posting 17.9 per cent growth year-on-year, while Canterbury and Wellington both recorded solid gains. However, not all regions recorded growth — notably, the Gisborne region, West Coast and Nelson all recorded a decline in sales compared to the fourth quarter of 2024.
With data sourced from Statistics New Zealand and the Restaurant Association, the Q4 Report provides relevant data on the state of the hospitality industry.
Selected highlights:
- Total sales for the industry over the 4th quarter of 2025 were $4.43 billion, representing a 4.3 per cent sales increase over the same quarter a year previous.
- Dollar value of sales for the restaurant and cafe sector for the 4th quarter of 2025 was $2.18 billion.
- Regionally, revenue growth in Queenstown-Lakes region was the most significant for the 4th quarter of 2025 vs the previous year. In dollar value, the region increased from $133.6 million sales in Q4 2024 to $157.5 million sales in Q4 2025.
The 2025 Q4 Hospitality Sales snapshot includes:
- Quarterly sales data by sector for Q4 2025 (restaurants & cafés; pubs, taverns & bars; catering; food to go; and clubs), showing sales trend over previous year and previous quarter
- Regional outlook for sales for Q4 covering the following regions: Northland Region, Auckland Region, Waikato Region, Bay of Plenty Region, Gisborne Region, Hawke’s Bay Region, Taranaki Region, Manawatu-Wanganui Region, Wellington Region, West Coast Region, Tasman Region, Nelson Region, Marlborough Region, Kaikoura, Canterbury Region excl Kaikoura, Otago Region excl Queenstown-Lakes, Queenstown-Lakes, Southland Region
If you are not a member of the Restaurant Association, the 2025 Q4 Report is available for purchase to the wider industry for $60.00 +gst. Let us know if you’d like to talk to one of our team about becoming a member, or click here for more information.