2010 Shaping Up to Be Best of Three

By Derrek J. Hull, Blogger-in-Chief

Coupled with the National Restaurant Association's 2010 Restaurant Industry Forecast projections that restaurant industry sales will reach $580 billion (a 2.5 percent increase over 2009 sales), the Association’s Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) – a monthly composite index that tracks the health of and outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry – edged up 0.9 percent from November and its strongest level in nearly two years.

“Along with a solid improvement among the current situation indicators, restaurant operators are increasingly optimistic about industry growth in the months ahead,” said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of Research and Knowledge Group, National Restaurant Association. “More than a third of restaurant operators expect their sales to improve in six months, the highest level in more than two years.”

Restaurant Industry Facts

• $1.5 billion — Restaurant-industry sales on a typical day in 2010
• 76 percent of adults said they are trying to eat healthier now at restaurants than they did two years ago.
• 70 percent of adults said they are more likely to visit a restaurant that offers locally produced food items.
• 69 percent of adults said purchasing meals from restaurants, take-out and delivery places makes it easier for families with children to manage their day-to-day lives.

For more analysis and the latest information on restaurant industry trends, visit Restaurant Trendmapper.