Monday has traditionally been the hospitality industry’s ‘night off’; a time to recharge after a hectic weekend. However, new data shows it has become the favourite night of the week for a dinner reservation in Australia.

According to SevenRooms, Friday, Saturday and even the post-COVID-19 disruptor Thursday have been edged aside by Monday bookings.

Based on tens of thousands of reservations at venues that use cloud-based reservation and guest management platform SevenRooms, 16.6% of total weekly reservations made in Australia in 2024 are for Mondays, with 6pm being the preferred dining time. 

According to SevenRooms, as economic pressures continue to hurt both business budgets and consumer spending, venues are seeking to maximise the potential of every day, every service and every dollar, even the formerly low-key, now favourite night of Monday. 

Year-on-year searches in Australia for “restaurants open Monday night near me” are up 152%. Searches for “cafes open on Monday near me” are up 50%, suggesting that more casual meals or meetings are also increasingly popular.

SevenRooms Managing Director, APAC GTM Paul Hadida said: “We’re seeing a huge trend towards people visiting restaurants on evenings not typically considered ‘peak’ nights.

“Monday, forever considered the industry ‘night off’, now is one of the busiest nights for reservations. With a rise in hybrid and remote work, people are no longer bound by the ‘traditional’ work week, seeking new days to meet with friends and be a part of their local communities.

“Addressing the needs of these diners, hospitality venues are now open on days they might have historically been closed – like Mondays. Venues are also looking for new ways to attract, entertain and retain their customers, offering experiences, upgrades and perks that help them stand out.  

“While economic pressures are impacting consumer behaviour, younger generations of Australians are dining out frequently, making restaurants a more regular part of their weekly routine – a ‘third place’ outside of their home or workplace. Venues prioritising their guest experience, through personalisation, convenience and value, will ensure their guests are seen and heard, leading to long-time brand ambassadors not just one-time guests.”

‘Early bird’ dining sweeps Australia

According to Good Food, it’s not just Monday being the new favourite night, early dining is now the norm. It describes it as the “toddler-inspired dining trend sweeping Sydney restaurants”.

The website reported: “On a typical night last week, the hot new King Clarence [above] restaurant in the Sydney CBD – part of a stable that includes the hatted Bentley and Monopole – had more than 60 per cent of its bookings in the slot between 5pm and 6pm.”

Restaurateur Maurice Terzini said he believes Sydney’s lockout laws rolling into COVID-19 lockdowns have shaped the new early-bird culture. 

The early dining trend started gaining momentum in 2022, when ResDiary reported: “Early dinner bookings are on the rise accounting for 39% of all bookings in 2022. The 5pm seating time now makes up 13.5% of all bookings, with 6pm hosting 25.5% of all bookings in 2022.

“This is a sizable increase from 2021 when the 5/6pm booking times accounted for 36.2% of all bookings, (12.3%/23.9% respectively) which presents venues with the opportunity turn tables multiple times during a service.”

OpenTable data from last year also showed Australians were eating earlier, with 6pm being the favourite timeslot and 5pm seeing the largest year-on-year growth.

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Pictured main: Ho Jiak Town Hall, Sydney.