The National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Performance Index remained quite positive in the June survey, details of which were released July 31. The overall index fell half a point to 101.3, mostly on declines in current same-store sales and customer traffic. But the index remains well above the 100 level that signals the difference between industry…

The total number of restaurants in the U.S. market grew moderately the past year, according to spring data from The NPD’s Group twice-a-year restaurant census, ReCount. The number of total net units grew 0.5%, or an addition of 3,045, to 617,505. The new totals are a revision of previous ReCount totals based on new information.…

The percentage of Canadian restaurant operators reporting higher same-store sales in the second quarter of this year, compared with the same quarter in 2012, rose slightly, while those reporting lower sales dropped somewhat, according to the latest survey from the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association’s quarterly Restaurant Outlook Survey. Of those surveyed, 34% report higher…

The monthly jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed the U.S. economy created 162,000 net new jobs in July, lower than the past few months and 20,000 to 25,000 lower than most economists expected. In the perverse environment of the financial markets, this was seen as positive, because they believe it will slow…

Time is running short to register for the industry’s only annual hard-numbers forecast overviewof the foodservice equipment and supplies market. Foodservice Equipment Reports’ 2014 President’s Preview E&S Market Forecast is Wed., Aug. 7, at the Westin O’Hare Hotel in Rosemont, Ill. The annual one-day event provides manufacturers, operators, dealers and others in the industry an…

Since we’re in the middle of preparing our annual equipment and supplies market forecast, we thought we’d share the latest key macro-economic forecasts from Blue Chip Economic Indicators. In the latest survey of the 50 economic forecasting groups who participate in the newsletter, conducted July 2 and 3, the consensus forecasts slipped for 2013 and…

Wholesale food prices rose in June, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported July 12 in its monthly Producer Price Index release. Food prices at the so-called finished level were up 0.2%, while the increase at the intermediate level jumped 0.7%. At the earliest stage of processing, the crude level, prices fell 0.3%. (We usually also…

Two new reports, one on consumer trends in college and university foodservice and another tracking the Top 150 fast-casual chain brands, are now available from Technomic Inc. Student patronage levels have almost returned to pre-recession levels, according to the research firm’s updated “College & University Consumer Trend Report,” with 69% of students now purchasing food…

Among the predictions in The NPD Group’s recently released “A Look into the Future of Foodservice” study is this one: Prepared foods provided by retailers such as supermarkets and drug stores will continue to capture share of the meals/snacks market by taking visits from restaurants. The study, which looks at the foodservice market out through…

The restaurant business may have finally fully recovered from the Great Foodservice Recession. It took nearly six and a half years. Strong gains in current restaurant same-store sales and traffic in May led to a nearly full point jump in the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Performance Index, pushing the overall index to 101.8, its highest…