According to NPD Group, morning traffic was up 2% during the first quarter, lunch was flat, dinner traffic was down by 1%, and the “evening snack” that was supposed to be a great traffic-building opportunity slipped 2% for the quarter. While fewer people are eating out, but those who are dining out are spending more. Average check was up 2% in Q1 2013. But a lot of that increase was from higher menu prices.