Restaurant Performance Index drops below 100 for first time in 6 months
As a result of softer same-store sales and traffic levels and an erosion of optimism among restaurant operators, the outlook for the restaurant industry softened in May. The National Restaurant 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 99.9 in May, down 1.0 percent from April’s level. May represented the first time in six months that the RPI stood below 100, which signifies contraction in the index of key industry indicators.
“Like the economy as a whole, the restaurant industry’s recovery hit a speed bump in May, with same-store sales and traffic levels softening from recent months,” said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of the Research and Knowledge Group for the Association. “However, the overall economic fundamentals of the restaurant industry remain positive, which will likely lead to stronger performances in the months ahead.”