Same-store sales and customer traffic

Restaurant operators reported mixed same-store sales readings in March, which represented a sharp improvement from February’s dampened levels. 

Forty-three percent of restaurant operators said their same-store sales rose between March 2024 and March 2025, according to the National Restaurant Association’s monthly tracking survey. That was up from just 18% of operators who reported higher sales in February. 

Forty-five percent of operators said their sales declined in March, down from 63% 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 reported somewhat better traffic results in March, but volume remained negative overall. 

Twenty-nine percent of operators said their customer traffic rose between March 2024 and March 2025, up from 13% of operators who reported higher traffic in February. 

Fifty-seven percent of operators said their traffic declined in March, down from 66% in February.

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