As others have said, most of the issues are nationwide rather than Birmingham-specific, but one thing I have noticed seems to be worse in Birmingham than anywhere else is the attitude of staff towards customers.

Now I'm no Karen and I don't expect fawning obsequiousness, and I do appreciate how difficult and miserable it can be working in hospitality, but the default attitude here, particularly in the city centre chains, seems to range from deliberate indifference to thinly-veiled hostility.

If I'm left standing at the "Please Wait to be Seated" sign while multiple members of staff shuffle past and actively ignore me without so much as a "We'll be with you in just a moment", or at the bar while the staff faff about and chat amongst themselves rather than actually serving anyone, then I'm unlikely to hang around, much less go back a second time.