NEW DELHI: Is Wednesday the new Saturday? With rising disposable incomes and a younger population eager to socialise more, going out is no more a weekend ritual as weekday sales see a considerable uptick, say restaurateurs running pubs, clubs and bars.
Industry insiders said they are seeing more weekday offers and promotions than before, including all-day happy hours in some markets that are getting increasingly competitive to lure the mid-week crowd.
The highest spending of disposable income in India is on eating out and food, and restaurants and bars are the ultimate social hub, said Zorawar Kalra, founder and managing director of Massive Restaurants. “As per industry estimates, five years ago, Indians were eating out close to three times a month. Now it’s about eight times a month. Restaurants have realised that Indians love eating out and the younger lot wants to do it even more. They are okay with not buying a car, taking an Uber instead,” he said.
As disposable incomes increase, people want to socialise more, and restaurants are offering them more reasons to do so, Kalra said. “All our energy is going into curating experiences for weekdays. The gap between weekend and weekday sales is reducing,” he said.
Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality has been hosting community events, gigs and programming nights during weekdays.
Friends Time, Family Time
But the shift has become more pronounced, said its chief growth officer, Divya Aggarwal.
What’s driving this is a generational mindset change. Gen Z, with their financial independence and experience-first approach to life, see going out midweek as “natural” and “effortless,” said Rahul Singh, founder of The Beer Café.
“Even the more cautious Gen X and millennials are now aligning with this trend and are stepping out to celebrate and unwind on a Wednesday.”
Consumers want to keep Saturdays for family and prefer socialising on a Wednesday or a Thursday now, said Sandeep Arora, founder and director of spirits advisory and marketing firm Spiritual Luxury Living. “In our surveys for liquor brands, we realised weekends are shifting, and bars seem to be making a lot more money on weekdays. Indians seem to be heading out a lot more after work.”
Spirits company Radico Khaitan is witnessing a “marked acceleration” in liquor sales across restaurants, pubs, clubs, and bars during weekdays, said chief operating officer Amar Sinha. “Corporates are increasingly turning to these venues for informal engagements,” he said.
“This shift has been compounding year on year, and such is the scale of opportunity that even new restaurant and club owners are actively seeking temporary liquor licences to participate in the growing weekday demand.”
Bar concepts are also changing in line with these changes, said Yangdup Lama, co-owner of Sidecar in Delhi. “The whole landscape has changed. Until a couple of years ago, every bar had a DJ and loud music. It was not a social place which would allow for conversations,” said Lama.
“The bar concepts as well as consumers have changed. People like to socialise after work and they want to head out if they are bored at home or would like to catch up with people in a new city.”
Bars and restaurants offer everything, from doodling and salsa workshops to speed dating nights, on weekdays. According to the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) food services report released last year, India is expected to be the third-largest food services market by 2028, overtaking Japan.
It was pegged as the third-largest industry in India, valued at Rs 5.7 lakh crore and estimated to grow to Rs 7.8 lakh crore by 2028.
Industry insiders said they are seeing more weekday offers and promotions than before, including all-day happy hours in some markets that are getting increasingly competitive to lure the mid-week crowd.
The highest spending of disposable income in India is on eating out and food, and restaurants and bars are the ultimate social hub, said Zorawar Kalra, founder and managing director of Massive Restaurants. “As per industry estimates, five years ago, Indians were eating out close to three times a month. Now it’s about eight times a month. Restaurants have realised that Indians love eating out and the younger lot wants to do it even more. They are okay with not buying a car, taking an Uber instead,” he said.
As disposable incomes increase, people want to socialise more, and restaurants are offering them more reasons to do so, Kalra said. “All our energy is going into curating experiences for weekdays. The gap between weekend and weekday sales is reducing,” he said.
Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality has been hosting community events, gigs and programming nights during weekdays.
Friends Time, Family Time
But the shift has become more pronounced, said its chief growth officer, Divya Aggarwal.
What’s driving this is a generational mindset change. Gen Z, with their financial independence and experience-first approach to life, see going out midweek as “natural” and “effortless,” said Rahul Singh, founder of The Beer Café.
“Even the more cautious Gen X and millennials are now aligning with this trend and are stepping out to celebrate and unwind on a Wednesday.”
Consumers want to keep Saturdays for family and prefer socialising on a Wednesday or a Thursday now, said Sandeep Arora, founder and director of spirits advisory and marketing firm Spiritual Luxury Living. “In our surveys for liquor brands, we realised weekends are shifting, and bars seem to be making a lot more money on weekdays. Indians seem to be heading out a lot more after work.”
Spirits company Radico Khaitan is witnessing a “marked acceleration” in liquor sales across restaurants, pubs, clubs, and bars during weekdays, said chief operating officer Amar Sinha. “Corporates are increasingly turning to these venues for informal engagements,” he said.
“This shift has been compounding year on year, and such is the scale of opportunity that even new restaurant and club owners are actively seeking temporary liquor licences to participate in the growing weekday demand.”
Bar concepts are also changing in line with these changes, said Yangdup Lama, co-owner of Sidecar in Delhi. “The whole landscape has changed. Until a couple of years ago, every bar had a DJ and loud music. It was not a social place which would allow for conversations,” said Lama.
“The bar concepts as well as consumers have changed. People like to socialise after work and they want to head out if they are bored at home or would like to catch up with people in a new city.”
Bars and restaurants offer everything, from doodling and salsa workshops to speed dating nights, on weekdays. According to the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) food services report released last year, India is expected to be the third-largest food services market by 2028, overtaking Japan.
It was pegged as the third-largest industry in India, valued at Rs 5.7 lakh crore and estimated to grow to Rs 7.8 lakh crore by 2028.
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