News

January traffic climbs at limited-service restaurants

February 11, 2020

Customer transactions at U.S. restaurant chains were up in January, a benefit of milder weather compared to a year ago when extreme weather conditions, including a polar vortex and above-average precipitation, hit many areas of the U.S.

For the retail weeks ending Jan. 6 through Feb. 2, total restaurant transactions increased by 2% over same time last year and quick service restaurant chains were the primary contributor to these gains, according to NPD's CREST Performance Alerts. It provides a rapid weekly view of chain-specific transactions and share trends for 73 quick service, fast casual, midscale, and casual dining chains. 

QSR chains, which represent the bulk of industry transactions, grew transactions by 2% in January following four consecutive weeks of gains compared to the declines experienced last January, according to a press release. The full-service restaurant segment, which includes casual dining and midscale/family dining chains, didn't fare as well as QSR, and experienced transaction declines throughout the month. Customer transactions at casual dining restaurants declined by 4% and midscale/family dining transactions decreased by 2%.

"January is historically one of the toughest months for U.S. restaurants and bad weather is usually a contributor," David Portalatin, NPD food industry advisor and author of Eating Patterns in America, said in the release. "This year, however, the month’s milder weather compared to the extreme weather last year drove QSR transaction gains, which kept total industry transactions up."