The figure is down 42% on the pre-pandemic level (60%) in the February edition of the survey.
Extended restrictions over the autumn has led to more than a quarter of multi-site business leaders (27%) predicting their groups will be unviable within the first six months of 2021 if the current support levels continue.
Charlie Mitchell, research & insight director at CGA, commented: “As we near the end of hospitality’s toughest year in memory, the bleak picture of the sector will come as little surprise.
“Suffocating restrictions across Britain will devastate trading in what should be businesses’ busiest time of the year. Leaders’ optimism is at least rising from the rock bottom level of our last survey, and news of a vaccine is a reason for cautious hope of recovery in 2021.
“However, this week’s Tier 2 restrictions in England and strict new limits in Wales could be fatal for smaller business in particular, making the case for more relaxed trading conditions and better government support even more urgent.”
The business confidence survey from CGA and Fourth highlights three major challenges for the hospitality industry in 2021:
- Brexit: Four in five (80%) leaders think Brexit will have negative impacts on their cost of goods, and two-thirds anticipate impacts on overall profitability (65%) and the supply chain (64%).
- People: Two-thirds of leaders anticipate either recruiting no (29%) or fewer (38%) new staff in 2021.
- Investment: More than a third (38%) do not plan to open new sites—but slightly more intend to open either one site (21%) or two to five sites (23%).
Sebastien Sepierre, managing director of Fourth, added: “With cautious optimism on the horizon, in the form of a vaccine, there still remain many challenges in the year ahead, such as the availability of goods and labour, after we exit the EU Customs Union.
“We will continue to work tirelessly with businesses to help them harness the power of technology and data to tackle what lies ahead.”