The NRA's Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) stood at 101.9 in March, up 1.1% since February and its strongest gain in 17 months, the association reported. In addition, the RPI remained above 100 for the 47th consecutive month, which represents expansion in the association's composite index of eight key industry indicators, it noted in its statement.
"Growth in the Restaurant Performance Index to a 12-month high was fueled by broad-based gains in March, with seven out of eight indicators registering improvements from their February levels," said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of research and information services. "Trends in the current situation indicators were particularly encouraging, with operators reporting solid improvements over the softer performances in the first two months of the year."
The March increase in the Restaurant Performance Index was driven by a solid increase in the current situation component of the index. The Current Situation Index, which measures current trends in four industry indicators (same-store sales, traffic, labor and capital expenditures), stood at 101.1 in March
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