2025 Q3 Hospitality Sales Snapshot Restaurant Association

The 2025 Q3 Hospitality Sales Snapshot provides top line sales statistics on the hospitality industry.

In the third quarter of 2025 New Zealand’s hospitality sector recorded $4.05 billion in sales, marking 5.9 per cent year-on-year growth—the strongest quarterly performance in recent times. However, this headline growth masks significant operational challenges for operators, who report that while customer numbers have improved over the earlier quarters of 2025, spending patterns have shifted. Cost pressures also persist across food, rent, utilities, and labour.

Regional performance varied widely, with Nelson sales revenue surging 47.5 per cent over last year, while West Coast, Manawatu-Wanganui, and Gisborne all contracted.

Cafés and restaurants led category growth at 7.3 per cent growth year-on-year, however, pubs and bars declined 0.2% as beverage-led venues face particular pressure from changing consumer priorities.

Improving economic indicators—falling interest r...