Research
April 01, 2026
Total restaurant industry sales
Restaurant sales rebounded in February
Restaurant sales registered a moderate gain in February, bouncing back from two consecutive monthly declines.
Eating and drinking places registered total sales of $100.1 billion on a seasonally adjusted basis in February, according to preliminary data from the U.S. Census Bureau. That was up 0.4% from January’s sales volume of $99.7 billion.
February’s sales gain followed declines in both December (-0.4%) and January (-0.2%). That recent soft patch marked the first back-to-back sales decline in more than three years, which illustrates the resilience of consumer spending during the post-pandemic period.
The year-over-year growth in restaurant sales improved to 5.2% in February – the strongest 12-month gain since September 2025. However, that was largely due to dampened sales in February 2025, which made the year-ago comparisons easier.
While February’s sales uptick was welcomed, restaurants now have some added competition in the form of sharply higher gas prices. The AAA national average for a gallon of regular gasoline hit $4.06 on April 1. That was up more than $1 from late-February and represented the first time since August 2022 that pump prices topped $4 a gallon. That has the potential to crowd out consumer spending in areas such as restaurants.
On top of that, the national average for a gallon of diesel now stands at $5.49. That was up more than $1.70 from a month earlier, and will likely have ripple effects throughout the supply chain. With operators continuing to face elevated costs across their restaurants, any additional impacts will put additional pressure on an already strained bottom line.
While rising menu prices continue to boost nominal sales, the industry is seeing mixed results on an inflation-adjusted basis. Although real eating and drinking place sales were up 1.3% from the dampened February 2025 level, the trendline was relatively flat during the last several months.
Note: Eating and drinking places are the primary component of the U.S. restaurant and foodservice industry and represent approximately 72% of total restaurant and foodservice sales.
Eating and drinking places registered total sales of $100.1 billion on a seasonally adjusted basis in February, according to preliminary data from the U.S. Census Bureau. That was up 0.4% from January’s sales volume of $99.7 billion.
February’s sales gain followed declines in both December (-0.4%) and January (-0.2%). That recent soft patch marked the first back-to-back sales decline in more than three years, which illustrates the resilience of consumer spending during the post-pandemic period.
The year-over-year growth in restaurant sales improved to 5.2% in February – the strongest 12-month gain since September 2025. However, that was largely due to dampened sales in February 2025, which made the year-ago comparisons easier.
While February’s sales uptick was welcomed, restaurants now have some added competition in the form of sharply higher gas prices. The AAA national average for a gallon of regular gasoline hit $4.06 on April 1. That was up more than $1 from late-February and represented the first time since August 2022 that pump prices topped $4 a gallon. That has the potential to crowd out consumer spending in areas such as restaurants.
On top of that, the national average for a gallon of diesel now stands at $5.49. That was up more than $1.70 from a month earlier, and will likely have ripple effects throughout the supply chain. With operators continuing to face elevated costs across their restaurants, any additional impacts will put additional pressure on an already strained bottom line.
While rising menu prices continue to boost nominal sales, the industry is seeing mixed results on an inflation-adjusted basis. Although real eating and drinking place sales were up 1.3% from the dampened February 2025 level, the trendline was relatively flat during the last several months.
Note: Eating and drinking places are the primary component of the U.S. restaurant and foodservice industry and represent approximately 72% of total restaurant and foodservice sales.