Restaurant Performance Index increased 1.0% in January
The National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) registered a healthy gain in January, driven by improvements in the same-store sales and customer traffic indicators. The RPI – a monthly composite index that tracks the health of the U.S. restaurant industry – stood at 101.1 in January, up 1.0% from a level of 100.1 in December.
Same-store sales and customer traffic readings rebounded from December’s softer levels, although January’s results were buoyed by dampened year-ago comparisons. Looking forward, restaurant operators remain cautiously optimistic about business conditions in the coming months.
The Current Situation Index, which measures current trends in four industry indicators, stood at 100.5 in January – up 1.4% from a level of 99.2 in December. The healthy increase pushed the Current Situation Index back above 100 into expansion territory, with January representing the component’s highest reading since September 2023.
The Expectations Index, which measures restaurant operators’ six-month outlook for four industry indicators, stood at 101.7 – up 0.6% from the previous month. The RPI’s Expectations Index stood above 100 for the fourth consecutive month, which signals a positive outlook for business conditions in the months ahead.
RPI Methodology
The National Restaurant Association's Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) is a monthly composite index that tracks the health of the U.S. restaurant industry. Launched in 2002, the RPI is released on the last business day of each month.
The RPI is measured in relation to a neutral level of 100. Index values above 100 indicate that key industry indicators are in a period of expansion, while index values below 100 represent a period of contraction for key industry indicators. The Index consists of two components — the Current Situation Index, which measures current trends in four industry indicators (same-store sales, traffic, labor and capital expenditures), and the Expectations Index, which measures restaurant operators’ six-month outlook for four industry indicators (same-store sales, employees, capital expenditures and business conditions).
The RPI is based on the responses to the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Industry Tracking Survey, which is fielded monthly among restaurant operators nationwide on a variety of indicators including sales, traffic, labor and capital expenditures. Restaurant operators interested in participating in the tracking survey: contact Bruce Grindy.
Updated 2/28/2025