- Insights
The shift in European outlets: from nightlife to daytime coffee culture
The trend : Over the last few years, a clear trend has emerged. Daytime consumption is increasing, while late-night activity is gradually declining. An analysis of openings and closures shows that coffee shops are rapidly multiplying, whereas traditional bars and nightclubs are losing ground.
We’ve used our Location Database to track this evolution across 6 countries from 2019 to today.
🌎 Countries analysed: Belgium, The Netherlands, France, Germany, Spain, The United Kingdom
🗓️ Period: 2019 – 2025
First, let’s look at each segment’s share in our overall database
• 🍺 Bars/cafés: the number of bars and cafés decreased from 172,052 outlets in 2019 to 163,653 today (-4.9%).
• 🪩 Nightclubs: this segment shows an even sharper contraction, declining from 8,045 outlets in 2019 to 7,040 today (-12.5%).
• ☕ Coffee bars: Coffee bars are the clear growth driver. Outlet numbers increased from 32,288 in 2019 to 45,534 today, representing a +41% increase.
The trend is clear: consumption is growing during the day and in experiential or specialised venues. But each country has its own specificities, right?
Now, let’s take a quick tour of Europe to explore the differences
• 🇩🇪 🇳🇱 🇧🇪 Germany, Netherlands and Belgium
These three countries perfectly illustrate the overall trend.
Germany shows the most dramatic shift: since 2019, coffee bars have grown by +89%, while bars/cafés and nightclubs have both declined by -19%.
In the Netherlands, bars declined by -7% and nightclubs by -15%, while coffee bars grew by +31%. As reported by Dutch media Nu.nl, the number of cafés in the Netherlands has been continuously declining since 2013.
Belgium follows the same pattern, with declines in bars/cafés (-3%) and nightclubs (-4%), alongside growth in coffee bars (+65%).
• 🇬🇧 The United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, the traditional pub has remained almost stable (-0.2%). Many have managed to diversify by integrating food trends and events to stay relevant. However, nightclubs declined by -5%, while coffee bars continue to expand rapidly (+29%).
• 🇫🇷 France
Bars and cafés have remained stable since 2019 (+1%), while coffee bars have surged (+91%). The traditional bar/café still plays a strong cultural role, but new coffee concepts are creating incremental occasions rather than replacing existing ones.
However, nightclubs continue to decline (-18%), suggesting that late-night formats are under similar pressure to the rest of Europe.
• 🇪🇸 Spain
Spain remains the clearest exception on nightlife. It is the only country showing nightclub growth since 2019 (+7%), reflecting the structural importance of late-night socialising in Spanish culture and tourism-driven demand.
Meanwhile, bars/cafés continue to decline (-2%) and coffee bars are growing strongly (+30%).
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