CHICAGO ─ US restaurant visits are still below the level tallied six years ago, but signs of improvement appeared during the second half of 2010, according to The NPD Group, a leading market research company. Restaurant traffic was flat for the quarter ending December 2010, compared to a 3% decline for same quarter year ago. Visits to quick-service restaurants increased in the second half of 2010.
However, the L.A. Times has a different story:
The restaurant industry continued to struggle during the fourth quarter of 2010, according to a leading research firm.
New data from the NPD group show that while business was up very slightly at the two ends of the spectrum -- fast-food and fine dining -- traffic actually dropped a little for all the moderate restaurants in between.
Are you seeing an increase in business? How did this winter's weather affect your bottom line? Tell us in the comments below!
