NRA Performance Index Rose Again In February

Strong gains in same-store sales and customer traffic offset a slight downturn in foodservice operator optimism in February as the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Performance Index rose again in February. The overall index was up 0.6 point to reach 101.9. It was the sixth consecutive month the index has been at or above 100, the point that separates expansion from contraction for the restaurant industry. The current situation capital purchases marker rose while that for anticipated capital spending fell slightly.

Current same-store sales and traffic registered very strong gains in February, as mild weather continued to help the industry. The sales component rose 1.4 points while that for traffic jumped 1.9 points. The labor indicator gained 0.7 point. The Current Situation Index was up 1.3 points.

Three of the four components of the Expectations Index dropped slightly though the outlook for staffing did register a half-point gain. The outlook for same-store sales six months out fell 0.2 point and that for future business conditions dropped 0.4 point. The Expectations Index as a whole was down only 0.1 point.

On the capital spending side, the indicator that tracks operators who reported a capital buy in the past three months was up a strong 0.9 point. The market for future cap-ex spending fell only 0.1 point. Both indicators remain slightly below the 100 tipping point.