Same-store sales and customer traffic

Same-store sales and customer traffic

Restaurant operators reported a net decline in same-store sales and customer traffic in March

Restaurant operators reported a net decline in same-store sales for the third consecutive month in March. 

Thirty-six percent of operators said their same-store sales rose between March 2023 and March 2024, according to the National Restaurant Association’s monthly tracking survey. That was down slightly from 38% of operators who reported higher sales in February. 

Fifty-two percent of operators said their sales were lower in March, compared to 51% who reported a sales decline in February.                

Restaurant operators: Want to know how your business compares to similar restaurants on a monthly basis? Find out by taking a few minutes to participate in the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Industry Tracking Survey. All survey respondents receive exclusive access to the detailed survey results each month, broken out by industry segment and type of ownership.

Restaurant operators also continued to report negative customer traffic in March. 

Thirty-one percent of operators said their customer traffic rose between March 2023 and March 2024, while 57% reported a traffic decline. That represented the 12th consecutive month of net declines in customer traffic. 

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