Finns stay home as restaurants hit their worst period on record

Finnish restaurants are performing worse than at any point in recorded statistics, as customers favour eating at home and businesses face rising costs and a lack of public regard, Yle reports.

Sini Kauhanen, a doctoral researcher at the University of Eastern Finland, interviewed 25 restaurant owners from across the country for a study of the industry’s challenges. The participants ran restaurants that served food and were open year-round.

Kauhanen said she was struck by how much more Finns seem to enjoy staying at home than going to restaurants. People also tend to eat together and drink alcohol at home, she said. Finland lacks the strong culture of eating out found in Mediterranean countries or in British pubs.

Restaurant profitability is being squeezed by expensive ingredients, high staffing costs and small margins, according to the study. Owners said cutting working hours could weaken service, while cheaper ingredients could reduce food and drink quality and discourage customers from visiting.

The owners did not criticise food safety requirements but said regulation, including frequent inspections, was burdensome. Kauhanen said rules covering details such as cleaning cupboards could allow more room for common sense.

Customers also compare restaurant prices with those from a decade ago, even though wages have risen over the same period, Kauhanen said. Some still recall when a pint of beer cost a particular amount.

Kauhanen said the restaurant industry continues to carry a negative image, which she linked partly to the way all restaurants were grouped together during the coronavirus pandemic. Decision-makers used terms equivalent to “dives” and “boozers”, she said.

Restaurant owners would like their businesses to become social meeting places, like living rooms. Alcohol consumption in restaurants has fallen, the article reports. Kauhanen said easing legislation and taxation could help the industry, and that growth in restaurants and customers could increase tax revenue and benefit tourism.

The research by Kauhanen, professors Henna Konu and Jonna Koponen, and emerita professor Raija Komppula was published in the journal Matkailututkimus.