Running a successful hospitality business in 2025 means doing more with less. Costs are up, staff are in short supply, and customer expectations haven’t gone down. For many restaurants, bars, cafés, and hotels, staffing remains one of the biggest operational expenses – and one of the hardest areas to manage efficiently. In this short guide, we reveal three lesser-known ways to reduce staffing costs without compromising on service or quality.
Hospitality venues are facing a perfect storm: wage inflation, talent shortages, and unpredictable demand. The challenge isn’t just finding staff – it’s doing so while maintaining profitability. And in cities like London and Manchester, where events, tourism and nightlife drive constant fluctuations, staying fully staffed without overspending is even harder.
In response, many hospitality managers are stretching their permanent teams to the limit or relying on expensive last-minute solutions like staffing agencies. This reactive approach leads to increased stress, inconsistent service, and unplanned costs. There’s a better way.
Hospitality runs on fluctuating demand. One night, your venue might be packed for a concert or football match; the next, it’s half full. But most staffing models are built around static, fixed contracts – even when it’s not needed.
Managers end up constantly reworking rotas instead of focusing on operations, service, and team wellbeing. Staff suffer, guest experience declines, and costs spiral.
Here are three lesser-known but highly effective ways hospitality venues can lower staffing costs – without sacrificing quality or service.
Instead of booking full shifts “just in case,” bring in temporary support exactly when and where it’s needed. Whether it’s a lunch rush, weekend crowd or unexpected private booking, you can staff around your business needs. With platforms like Coople, you can:
Training new workers from scratch every week drains time and money. Instead, use a feature like Coople’s Favourite Pools to rebook high-performing flex workers who already know your venue, systems and expectations. Over time, you create a trusted, reliable network you can activate on demand. This means:
Agencies often charge set fees with little visibility on what you’re paying for. With Coople, you stay in full control – set your own wages, choose your candidates, and see a full cost breakdown before confirming any hire. This allows for:
Thousands of hospitality venues across the UK already use Coople to streamline operations and reduce costs. Coople gives you instant access to a pool of over 450,000 skilled, vetted workers across the UK – ready to support you for a few hours, days or weeks.
The most successful hospitality venues in 2025 aren’t the ones with the biggest teams – they’re the ones with the smartest approach to staffing. By using flexible workers strategically, building a reliable team of regulars, and taking control of your costs, you can:
For many, flexible, temporary work is not just an option but a necessity. Whether balancing multiple roles, pursuing education, or seeking a better work-life balance, the demand for temporary and adaptable employment continues to grow. But what does flexibility really mean for workers in the UK retail sector? And how well does it align with business needs?
Recent changes to National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and minimum wage rates are weighing heavily on the minds of UK business leaders, according to a new survey by Coople. Some businesses might consider working around this by hiring freelancers. However, this strategy is risky and might lead to an increase in misclassifications and legal cases over time.
96% of businesses that participated in a recent Coople survey expected cost increases following this month’s changes in minimum wage and National Insurance. With high economic uncertainty, inflation and a fear of recession, this is just the latest addition to a long list of topics UK businesses must deal with in 2025.
