Research
May 14, 2026
Total restaurant industry sales
Restaurant sales continued to rise in April, despite elevated gas prices
Consumers continued to shrug off the impact of elevated gas prices in April and maintain their spending across many retail categories. That included restaurants, which saw sales rise for the third consecutive month.
Eating and drinking places registered total sales of $101.0 billion on a seasonally adjusted basis in April, according to preliminary data from the U.S. Census Bureau. That was up a healthy 0.6% from a level of $100.3 billion in March.
April represented the third straight monthly increase in restaurant sales, following gains in both February (+0.7%) and March (+0.1%).
The fact that consumer spending in restaurants continued to rise is a positive sign, as the added wallet competition from surging gas prices has been substantial. The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline jumped from below $3 in late February to $4.50 this week, according to the Energy Information Administration.
Although consumers spent a total of more than $16 billion more at gasoline stations in March and April than they did in February, they continued to spend in other areas.
Excluding gasoline stations, total retail sales were up 0.3% in April (after rising 0.7% in March). Sales in other retail categories also rose in April, led by electronics and appliance stores (+1.4%), sporting goods and hobby stores (+1.4%) and non-store retailers (+1.1%).
Two factors that helped buoy consumer spending were larger tax refunds and the recent stabilization in the labor market. Both will need to keep playing their part for consumers to continue weathering this period of elevated gas prices.
Although April’s sales volume of $101 billion represented a record high in nominal terms, it remained below several 2025 monthly readings on an inflation-adjusted basis. Growth in menu prices continues to drive much of the sales gains, with customer traffic levels remaining uneven.
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 $101.0 billion on a seasonally adjusted basis in April, according to preliminary data from the U.S. Census Bureau. That was up a healthy 0.6% from a level of $100.3 billion in March.
April represented the third straight monthly increase in restaurant sales, following gains in both February (+0.7%) and March (+0.1%).
The fact that consumer spending in restaurants continued to rise is a positive sign, as the added wallet competition from surging gas prices has been substantial. The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline jumped from below $3 in late February to $4.50 this week, according to the Energy Information Administration.
Although consumers spent a total of more than $16 billion more at gasoline stations in March and April than they did in February, they continued to spend in other areas.
Excluding gasoline stations, total retail sales were up 0.3% in April (after rising 0.7% in March). Sales in other retail categories also rose in April, led by electronics and appliance stores (+1.4%), sporting goods and hobby stores (+1.4%) and non-store retailers (+1.1%).
Two factors that helped buoy consumer spending were larger tax refunds and the recent stabilization in the labor market. Both will need to keep playing their part for consumers to continue weathering this period of elevated gas prices.
Although April’s sales volume of $101 billion represented a record high in nominal terms, it remained below several 2025 monthly readings on an inflation-adjusted basis. Growth in menu prices continues to drive much of the sales gains, with customer traffic levels remaining uneven.
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.