• September 2, 2009

The restaurant industry's outlook improved somewhat in July. The National Restaurant Association's Restaurant Performance Index (RPI), the monthly composite index that tracks the industry's health and outlook, rose slightly, for the first time in three months.

The RPI stood at 98.1 for the month, up 0.3% from June. However, July also marked the 21st consecutive month that the index has been below 100. Any number below 100 indicates contraction in key industry indicators.

"Although restaurant operators continue to report soft same-store sales and customer traffic levels, they are more optimistic about improving conditions in the months ahead," summarized Hudson Riehle, SVP of research and information services for the association. "Restaurant operators reported a positive six-month economic outlook, and the proportion expecting higher sales rose to its highest level in three months."--Karlene Lukovitz