Understanding key restaurant industry indicators
Our team of economists navigates the often-conflicting signals found in U.S. and industry data, distilling this information to identify trends and provide meaningful insights for restaurant and foodservice operators, as well as the general public.
Blog
Explore the latest from the Association team.
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Research
Higher volume restaurants reported lower food-cost ratios in 2024
October 16, 2025Lower costs flowed through to the bottom line in the form of higher profitability. -
Research
Restaurant Sales Estimated to Have Risen by 0.5% in September
October 16, 2025The National Restaurant Association has developed a macroeconomic model to estimate sales at eating and drinking places. In the absence of official figures due to the government shutdown, this post estimates September 2025 sales data. -
Research
Elevated labor costs had a significant impact on restaurant profitability in 2024
October 08, 2025Profitable restaurants were much more likely to keep labor costs in check. -
Research
Higher-income households are driving restaurant sales
September 18, 2025The number of households with income above $100k jumped by 5 million during the last 2 years. -
Research
Restaurant Sales Continue to Outpace Pre-Pandemic Trend
September 16, 2025Nominal and real spending at eating and drinking places continue to outpace the pre-pandemic trend despite numerous headwinds. -
Research
CBO: Without immigration, U.S. population will shrink starting in 2031
September 11, 2025CBO now projects that deaths will exceed births staring in 2031, meaning that the U.S. population will start to decline without immigration. This will have broad impacts to the labor force and customer base for restaurant operators. -
Research
Restaurant operators kept food cost ratios in check in 2024
September 10, 2025Streamlined menus and off-premises shift helped to mitigate elevated food costs. -
Research
Restaurant occupancy costs were more than 5% of sales in 2024
September 03, 2025Restaurants in urban areas devote more of their budget to occupancy costs. -
Research
Restaurant labor costs are well above historical averages
August 27, 2025Elevated labor costs continue to pressure the bottom line. -
Research
Increasingly on the Sidelines: Labor Force Participation Continues to Slide
August 21, 2025Labor force participation has continued to pull back, and this post analyzes some of the current trends.