With restaurant operators becoming increasingly confident about business conditions in the months ahead, the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) posted a modest increase in November. The RPI – a monthly composite index that tracks the health of and outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry – stood at 101.1 in November, up slightly from a level of 100.9 in October.
Although the overall RPI increase was modest in November, some key indicators registered notable improvements. Restaurant operators reported their strongest same-store sales performance since June. In addition, nearly one-half of operators expect their sales to be higher in six months, while their outlook for the overall economy improved to its strongest level in three years.