• Convenience Store News, Monday, July 18, 2011 10:15 AM

Convenience stores and casual-dining restaurants are benefiting from an increase in dining-out frequency over the past 12 months, as the national economy shows small signs of improvement.

According to the North American Restaurant and Foodservice Review by AlixPartners, consumers are eating out more often now than they were a year ago. Over the last 12 months, 70% of consumers dined out at least weekly, which is a 43% increase over the first quarter of 2010, based on research on a national sample of consumers over the age of 18.

But dining frequency at convenience stores was up 63%, from an average of 1.6 times a month to 2.6 times per month, according to the study. Chains like Cheesecake Factory, Applebee's and Olive Garden, also saw a big increase versus the past year -- from 2.4 to 3 times a month, a 2% gain.

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