22% increase in diners: Israelis return to leisure in the north

The restaurant industry in Israel continues to maneuver within a complex reality, but updated data shows that the Israeli public is not giving up on local culinary experiences. Alongside long-standing restaurants that continue to attract crowds and new places that are emerging rapidly, the hospitality industry in the north of the country shows an impressive recovery trend after a prolonged period of slowdown.

"Calcalist" revealed that a total increase of about 16% in the number of guests at restaurants in the north was recently recorded. According to the Ontopo index and the Israel Restaurant Index, in the northern regions there was a jump of 22.6% in the number of diners alongside a 12.2% increase in advance reservations, while in Haifa and the northern coastal strip a more moderate increase of 6.3% was recorded. However, about 28% of businesses in the north have not yet returned to operation, and those that are open are dealing with a halt in income and difficulties in meeting obligations.

"Customers are not paying, income has stopped, and the mental pressure is immense," warned Udi Elly, a business consultant who has accompanied about 1,800 business owners in the north. Elly points to the lack of a planned response from the state and adds:

"The war is justified, we are all behind it. But why didn't they plan an economic framework for businesses? Where are the loans, grants, and assistance? Reservists are also business owners—whoever returns from battle might discover that their business did not survive."

Data proves that the Israeli appetite for northern culinary leisure is alive and kicking, but consumer resilience alone will not be able to sustain the industry for long. In order for the increase in the number of diners to translate into a real rehabilitation of the restaurants and not just a temporary recovery, the state must set up an economic safety net that will prevent the collapse of business owners who survived this complex period.