More Food At Home, Less Dining Out

---

Link.

Link. (HT: Rolf Penner)

Restaurant industry performance remained soft in August, as the National Restaurant Association's comprehensive index of restaurant activity stood below 100 for the tenth consecutive month. The Association's Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) - a monthly composite index that tracks the health of and outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry - stood at 98.3 in August, up 0.1% from its July level.

The recent lack of change in the Restaurant Performance Index reflects the wait-and-see sentiment in the financial markets and overall economy. Restaurant operators reported negative same-store sales for the eighth time in the last 10 months, and their outlook for sales growth in the months ahead remains uncertain. A record 31% of restaurant operators said the economy is the number-one challenge facing their business, while 22% identified food costs as their top challenge.