London pubs hit by 54% drop in revenue amid Tube strikes

This week’s Tube strikes have halved pub revenues across London, according to recent data.

Research conducted by employee experience platform Harri between 20-23 April revealed that total hospitality revenue was down 18% compared to the same period last week.

Pubs have been hardest hit by the severe disruption across the London Underground network, losing more than half (54%) of their weekly takings.

On Tuesday alone – a strike day – pub revenue fell by 46%, while cafés experienced a 26% drop as more office workers defaulted to working from home.

Sales at quick-service restaurants fell by 34%, while casual dining chains reported a 14% decline.

Commenting on the latest research, Dan Maimone, head of global customer experience at Harri, said: “Strike action has compounded the myriad of challenges already facing the hospitality sector. These figures are a big blow, particularly with more strike days planned. Supporting local pubs and hospitality venues on strike days has never been more important, and we’d encourage people to make every effort to visit and back their neighbourhood businesses where they can.”

Earlier this week, Kate Nicholls, chair of UKHospitality, urged all parties to continue negotiations and reach a solution to avert the industrial action, having stated: “Tube strikes have a devastating impact on London’s hospitality businesses, with sales falling by up to 40% on strike days. Commuter footfall is almost non-existent and families cancel plans to visit the capital. 

“The cost of strikes can stretch into the millions – as we saw when strikes hit the sector a couple of years ago. It’s not just lost sales, but the impact on hospitality staff who can no longer get into work.”

Strike action previously planned to take place between 24 and 27 March was called off by the RMT union. Further strike action is planned for May and June.

Five days of industrial action in September last year was estimated to have cost the hospitality sector up to £110m, with operators hit by cancellations and a drop in footfall.

Analysis from hospitality AI tech company Access Hospitality found that during the September 2025 Tube strike, hospitality bookings fell by up to 67% and walk-ins dropped by nearly 70%. 

The hospitality industry suffered £4b in lost sales as a result of network disruption between 2022 and 2024, according to UKHospitality.

Photo: I Wei Huang/Shutterstock