Restaurant operators in Sydney’s key dining precincts are seeing robust consumer spending despite modest growth in foot traffic, according to new data from the City of Sydney that highlights shifting patterns in the city’s $156 billion economy.
Consumer spending across Sydney’s local government area jumped 7% in September 2025 compared to the previous year, with weekend trade particularly strong—Saturday spending rose 7% and Sunday climbed 11%. The growth comes even as overall visitation to the city centre increased just 0.6%, suggesting customers are spending more per visit.
Night-time dining drives key precincts
The data reveals significant variations in how different restaurant districts perform, with night-time economy activity (6pm-6am) becoming increasingly important. Haymarket led all districts with 39% of total spending occurring at night, followed by Potts Point at 37% and Redfern at 29%.
Haymarket recorded the highest total annual spend among high streets at $630 million in the 2024/25 financial year, supported by strong dining activity, followed by Potts Point at $322 million and Redfern at $264 million.
Oxford Street and King Street showed more balanced day-night trading patterns, with night-time spend representing just 13% of their total, supported by daytime retail and hospitality operations.
Post-pandemic recovery varies by location
Stanley Street showed the strongest post-pandemic recovery with spending up 48% compared to pre-pandemic levels, followed by Haymarket (44%), Crown Street (33%) and Redfern (28%).
However, King Street was the only high street to decline, down 3% from 2019 levels, potentially due to its popularity with students affected by cost-of-living pressures.
Visitor vs. local trade
In Haymarket and Stanley Street, 85% and 78% of spending, respectively, comes from visitors living outside the local area. By contrast, Redfern (58%) and Potts Point (55%) rely more heavily on local residents.
Regional visitors represent the fastest-growing segment, with spending by interstate regional visitors up 9.5% year-on-year and regional NSW visitors up 8%, pointing to opportunities for restaurants to cater to domestic tourists exploring Sydney’s neighbourhoods.
Peak trading patterns shift
Tuesday has emerged as the busiest weekday in recent months, replacing Thursday as the peak day in 2024, reflecting evolving return-to-office patterns.
Saturdays remained the strongest spending day for most high streets, with Mondays typically the quietest.
