La crise frappe la restauration

From the National Restaurant Association (NRA): Restaurant Performance Index Fell to a Record Low in November as Economy Continued to Worsen

The outlook for the restaurant industry worsened in November, as the National Restaurant Association’s comprehensive index of restaurant activity fell to a record-low level. The Association’s Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) – a monthly composite index that tracks the health of and outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry – stood at 96.7 in November, down 0.4 percent from October and its 13th consecutive month below 100.

“The November decline in the Restaurant Performance Index was the result of broad-based declines across the index components, with the Current Situation index falling to a new record low,” said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of Research and Information Services for the Association. “A solid majority of restaurant operators reported negative same-store sales and traffic levels in November, while nearly one-half expect their sales in six months to be lower than the same period in the previous year.”

“The continued deterioration in economic conditions is reflected in operator sentiment, with a record 47 percent of restaurant operators saying the economy is currently the number-one challenge facing their business,” Riehle added. “Looking forward, restaurant operators aren’t particularly optimistic about an improvement either, with 49 percent expecting economic conditions to worsen in six months.”