• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, July 21, 2010

The total number of U.S. full-service and QSR restaurant units declined by 5,204, or 1%, this spring as compared with spring 2009 – a decline driven almost entirely by a 2% overall unit loss among independents, according to The NPD Group.

Across all formats, independently owned units were down by 5,093, or 2%, to 311,548 -- while franchised and company-owned units that are part of national or regional restaurant chains were essentially flat, at 267,868.