More and more since the pandemic we've seen restaurants and hospitality diversifying their ways of working, something we're seeing with QSR chains and late night opening hours of late.
In the UK, following a long-standing court battle with Westminster Council, British bakery chain Greggs has won the right to serve its infamous sausage rolls until 2am at its London flagship store in Leicester Square. The new opening hours are a slightly scaled back version of the originally planned 5am closing time, with the council citing that the opening hours would attract crime and disorder. Greggs rebutted with the view that it would offer a food option for those working night shifts with little other options open at that time, as well as bringing in staff from emergency services.
On the other side of the Atlantic, another popular QSR chain is making a move into the hours of the early morning as Wendy's Chief Executive Todd Penegor identifying the growth opportunity from late-night hours. The chain has already seen many of its drive-thrus open until 2am, whilst the market leader McDonalds does also compete with some franchise restaurants open 24/7 and others either at 11pm or midnight.