In 2024, the European Football Championships – or the “Euros” – are set to deliver an estimated £2.8bn boost to the UK economy, including pubs, supermarkets and tech stores. National England and Scotland matches are expected to bring record crowds to pubs and fan parks across both countries.
These predictions are according to the Men’s UEFA Euro 2024 Spending Report, which predicts that 35.4m Brits will be following the matches at home, as well as in bars, pubs, and restaurants.
With a particularly strong England squad considered favourites to win the competition, football fever is poised to take over the country from June 14th to July 14th. But how can pubs, bars and restaurants prepare for the Euros and capitalise on England’s campaign?
We spoke to Stonegate Group – the UK’s largest pub management company with over 4,500+ sites – to find out their best advice and tips for managing demand, ensuring availability, and preparing effectively ahead of the international tournament.
1. Maximise your availability
“We’ve carried out lots and lots of preparation,” says Chloe Abou-Ghosn, Senior Account Manager at Stonegate. “Specifically, around availability, we need to make sure that our availability on third-party platforms, such as TheFork, is reflective. Our TMS needs to be fully updated with deposit policies, table-joins etc. There’s also a lot of internal documentation that the team needs to create and be caught up on.
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2. Offer pre-booked packages
“I think most pubs and bars should be offering pre-booked packages during the Euros,” says Chloe. “Pre-booked packages can be prepared in advance of big matches or peak times, and they create added value straight away. You also get the added value of these bookings being operationally easier to manage, as you know what the customer wants before they even come in.
3. Use offers and discounts at the right times
Chloe explains how offers and promotions are a part of Stonegate’s strategy for the tournament. “You always find that after a home nation game, the days following are quieter. No matches will attract the same kind of crowds as an England (or Scotland!) game. So, we've added offers specifically for the periods after home nation games to help encourage customers and fans to return on quieter match days.”
“But, fingers crossed, England get through all the way to the finals and bring it home! We’re all already raring to go at Stonegate.”
Interested in how Stonegate and TheFork work together across the UK? Find out here, or get in touch with the TheFork UK team today.
Empty tables and ever-increasing costs?
