Same-store sales and customer traffic

A majority of restaurant operators reported lower same-store sales in February, which came on the heels of a more positive report in January. 

Only 18% of restaurant operators said their same-store sales rose between February 2024 and February 2025, according to the National Restaurant Association’s monthly tracking survey. That was down sharply from 51% of operators who reported higher sales in January. 

Sixty-three percent of operators said their sales declined in February, up from 35% in January.

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 a deterioration in customer traffic readings in February. 

Only 13% of operators said their customer traffic rose between February 2024 and February 2025, down from 46% of operators who reported higher traffic in January. 

Sixty-six percent of operators said their traffic declined in February, up from 38% in January.

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