Weekday socialising drives recovery in Europe’s hospitality sector
Europe’s major cities are seeing a shift in social habits, with weekday outings surging in cities like Amsterdam, Warsaw and Copenhagen, according to new research from The Oxford Partnership. “Operators and suppliers who understand these shifts will capture the next wave of growth,” says CEO Alison Jordan.
The ‘Quarter Three 2025 European Capital Cities Hospitality Report’, which analysed live data from more than 95,000 licensed venues across 17 capitals, revealed that weekday socialising is becoming a key driver of Europe’s hospitality recovery.
Between June and September, visits on Mondays and Tuesdays rose by as much as 5% in cities such as Warsaw, Copenhagen and Amsterdam. Thursday has also become a major social highlight, with growth of more than 3% recorded in London, Rome and Stockholm.
While weekends remain strong, their growth has stabilised. London, Dublin and Amsterdam continue to lead Saturday trade, particularly during the early evening peak.
“European hospitality is entering a new rhythm. The weekday occasion has become the growth engine of the modern city,” said Alison Jordan, CEO of The Oxford Partnership. “Commuter patterns, after-work drinks and city-centre living are reshaping how and when people socialise. Operators and suppliers who understand these shifts will capture the next wave of growth.”
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Despite shorter visits, consumers are spending more. Average spend per person climbed 7.5% to €21.69, even as average dwell times dropped by nearly three minutes to just over two hours.
Dublin saw the sharpest rise in spending at 21.3%, followed by Copenhagen (10.5%), Oslo (9.5%) and London (7.9%). Bern, Copenhagen and London remain Europe’s highest-spending capitals, reflecting their premium positioning, a higher cost-of-living and consumer confidence.
Saturday remains the hospitality industry’s strongest trading day, particularly between 6pm and 9pm, when occupancy and spending peak across the continent. London, Dublin, Amsterdam and Warsaw lead early evening performance, while Madrid and Stockholm are showing renewed late-night energy.
The Oxford Partnership said the data points to a new equilibrium in European hospitality: fewer visits overall, but higher-value spending and a growing emphasis on midweek trade.
Is this a worldwide trend. In my little town of McMinnville, Oregon, we are seeing an increase in visits to establishments of food and wine in the middle of the week. Thinking that culturally we are all shifting to weekday gatherings. Partly due to the desire to meet with friends locally and partly due to the weekends maybe being more for being at home cooking with friends. Not sure the why or what, but we are noticing the trend just like in big cities.