Berlin, May 28, 2025 – Summer, sunshine, restaurant visits! When the temperatures rise, people flock outside – and to the reopened terraces and outdoor areas of cafés, restaurants and beer gardens. A recent analysis by Lightspeed, the leading provider of cloud-based POS systems and payment solutions, shows that Summer is bringing more guests to the industry, but with a change in consumer behavior.
Analysis of over 1,600 restaurants in Germany between April 2024 and March 2025 shows In the warm season, the number of orders increases significantly by over 12 percent. Sales grow in line with this – but only by 4 percent. The average receipt value is therefore lower in summer than in winter. This means: many guests, but often smaller orders.
The consumer behavior of guests is therefore different in summer than in winter: Guests come alone or in small groups more often, prefer to eat snacks or an ice cream on the go, spontaneously treat themselves to a coffee or a cool drink on the terrace – instead of an extended dinner with three courses. What’s more, the length of stay is likely to be shorter than in winter – after all, the sunny weather beckons with a variety of activities that also want to be enjoyed.
“In gastronomy, a routine process and clear communication are the most important things. Every move has to be right, the kitchen and service have to work hand in hand. It’s not uncommon for misunderstandings and tensions to arise,” explains Sinahn Fabian Sehk, Head of DACH at Lightspeed. “Our KDS 2.0 was developed to meet precisely these fast-moving requirements of restaurants. The system creates a seamless and paperless connection between service, bar and kitchen and is compatible with a wide range of hardware. For example, kitchens can prioritize and manage dishes quickly and easily so that orders reach guests on time, even during the busiest hours.”
Making clever use of opportunities
For restaurateurs, summer is the ideal opportunity to win new regular customers, exploit upselling potential and highlight the guest experience. It’s worth making active use of the seasonal momentum.
Here are some tips from Lightspeed for a strong summer:
- An experience instead of a rush: if you inspire guests with atmosphere, service and little extras, you not only increase the length of stay – but also sales.
- Plan for targeted upselling: Well-trained staff can encourage additional orders with clever recommendations – without appearing pushy.
- Check assortment & calculation: Smaller orders require a finely tuned selection of products and a well thought-out pricing strategy.
- Focus on efficiency: More guests also means that processes have to run smoothly. Digital tools help to optimize processes – from the kitchen to the POS system
“Summer is a real opportunity for the hospitality industry – if you know how to play it,” says Sinahn Fabian Sehk, Regional Senior Director, DACH Hospitality at Lightspeed. “If you have your processes under control, you can turn small vouchers into big successes. “The decisive factor is how efficiently you deal with the higher volume of guests.”
Summer not only brings more guests, but also opens up new opportunities – for creative offers, more intensive customer loyalty and a fresh restaurant experience. This is an opportunity for restaurants to actively take advantage of seasonal patterns. Those who cleverly combine the increased number of guests with efficient use of resources can create real added value from smaller receipts – and use the summer for customer loyalty and growth.
Methodology:
POS data from the Lightspeed system of restaurants in Germany was evaluated for the analysis. Over 1,600 restaurants were analyzed in the period from April 2024 to March 2025. The comparison refers to the transactions recorded in each case as well as key sales figures in the summer months (April-September) and the winter months (October-March). Average and median receipt values were analyzed to precisely illustrate seasonal trends. Comparative figures from the period April 2023 to March 2024 were used for classification. All data was anonymized and evaluated under standardized conditions.
About Lightspeed
Lightspeed (TSX | NYSE: LSPD) is the leading global provider of a cloud-based, end-to-end POS and payment platform and financial services for the restaurant and hospitality industry in over 100 countries. Lightspeed was founded in Montreal in 2005 by CEO Dax Dasilva. Today, Lightspeed customers serve more than 1 billion meals in a year to over 300 million diners around the world. For more information, visit lightspeedhq.com. Follow us on social media: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X.
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