73% of guests won’t return if they don’t like the bathroom – what can restaurants do?

The bathroom is not a sideline

In Tork research, 73% of restaurant guests reported that an unpleasant bathroom experience affects whether they return to a given place. Moreover, guests – sometimes consciously, sometimes subconsciously – also infer the hygiene of the kitchen from the condition of the bathroom – meaning that a poorly equipped or neglected bathroom can ruin the reputation of the entire business. The situation is further complicated by the fact that although 92% of businesses consider the hygiene of their bathrooms important, 57% of guests still find them not clean enough.

“Restaurant operators have a lot of tasks to do and experience shows that the cleanliness of the bathrooms can easily take a back seat during their daily work. However, guests pay close attention to it – and this is often the point where a positive guest experience can easily fade away even if the kitchen has done its job well”

– pointed out Géza Nagy, Director of Essity’s Professional Hygiene Business Unit at the 2026 SIRHA exhibition.

At the same time, guests are also becoming increasingly environmentally conscious. In a 2022 survey, 90% of those surveyed said that sustainability was important to them, and 57% believed that the hospitality industry can have a significant impact on the environment. According to Tork experts, the future therefore belongs to solutions that simultaneously offer a solution to the needs of guests for hygiene and sustainability, while also serving the efficient operation of the business. The key is to minimize waste. This not only results in cheaper and greener operations, but can also be attractive to many guests, especially among the younger generations.

The common solution: avoid waste

“A common source of frustration in the washroom is when toilet paper or napkins, liquid soap, run out. This is avoided by hygiene systems that dispense paper and liquid per sheet or in small amounts at a time: the user does not tear off or “leak out” too much, but uses a controlled amount. This means that the dispensers run out later, the staff has to refill them less often, and the operation is more efficient. On the other hand, the guest is less likely to encounter empty dispensers and sees that there is no waste, unnecessary waste generation, unnecessary environmental impact – both of which increase satisfaction and the desire to return”

– explains Géza Nagy.

Tork has developed several solutions that reduce waste. The PeakServe Automatic automatic hand towel dispensing system, designed for high-traffic locations, can reduce paper consumption by up to 30-40%, and it also works with a sensor, and guests consider touchless solutions to be cleaner. According to 97% of cleaners, smart, real-time signal solutions significantly help maintain hygiene – while reducing unnecessary inspection rounds and the burden of refilling.

Sustainability: not a product, but a system

Sustainability does not stop at avoiding waste. Tork packaging 90% of it is recyclable and it is increasingly offering natural (naturally colored) products, which are made from almost 100% recycled materials. Compressed products can save up to 50% of space, which means measurable savings in storage, transportation and CO₂ emissions. The company is also preparing for the EU Data Reporting Requirements (EUDR) related to a deforestation-free supply chain with internal systems.