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January is always a tough month. For restaurants. For bars. For cafés. For hospitality in general. Footfall drops just as costs rise, and confidence across the sector takes a hit.
But January is also one of the best times to eat out.
It is the month when venues work hardest to tempt people through the door. Big discounts off the bill. Set menus. Brunch deals. Happy hours. Seasonal offers designed to suit tighter budgets. These incentives exist for a reason. They are another perfectly good excuse to eat out in January.
And it goes deeper than one quiet month.
Supporting Manchester’s hospitality scene this January
January might be the hardest point in the calendar, but hospitality is under pressure all year round. Across Manchester and beyond, restaurants, bars and cafés are dealing with rising energy costs, higher wages, increased National Insurance contributions and VAT levels that leave very little breathing room.
Many venues are operating on tight margins even when they are busy. When trade dips, there is nothing to fall back on. That makes the quieter months feel especially heavy for an industry that already runs on resilience and goodwill.
Eating out in January still makes sense. It can be great value. And it is genuinely good for the soul.
As David Fox, founder of Manchester-based Tampopo, puts it: “January is always a slow month for restaurants. But eating out can be great value and it’s good for the soul. If you have a restaurant you love, go. Don’t get a takeaway. It’s better for everyone. Including you.” Read more here
Is eating out in January affordable?
There is a belief that eating out is a luxury best avoided in January. In reality, once you factor in the food shop, prep, cooking, laying the table, clearing it and doing the washing up, eating out often stacks up better than deliveries and ready meals. You arrive. You sit down. You switch off.
The conversation changes, too. At home, it is practical. Who’s doing the dishes? Did we forget the milk? In a restaurant or bar, it opens up. Holidays. Gigs. Plans. Ideas. Life beyond the week ahead.
That human connection matters. Psychologist Susan Pinker has shown that face-to-face interaction is one of the strongest indicators of long, happy lives. Not productivity. Not money. Human connection. Hospitality spaces quietly make that possible, especially during the darkest months of the year.
The UK’s hospitality sector in 2025
The pressure on the sector is real. In 2025, the UK saw a decline in restaurants for the first time. Costs continue to rise, while consumers have more choice than ever when it comes to spending their leisure money. Something has to give.
But eating out does not need to disappear. It just needs to be done more thoughtfully.
David Fox on the right, the founder of Tampopo in Manchester
David Fox believes people do not need to stop eating out altogether. Being more considered about where you go and how you order allows eating out to remain part of everyday life, not something saved only for birthdays and anniversaries.
January deals exist to be used. Discounted set menus. Lunch offers. Brunch pricing. Happy hours. Smaller pours. They all allow people to support local hospitality in a way that fits their budget, without losing the joy of going out.
Show up for the restaurants you love this January
So if there is a restaurant, bar or café you love, January is the time to show up. Sit down. Eat well. Drink well. Talk properly.
Supporting hospitality in January is not reckless spending. It is smart. Human. And good for everyone.
Read next: Things to do in Manchester this January: Offers, experiences and new year inspiration
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