After 10 consecutive months of traffic gains over steep pandemic-related declines, the U.S. restaurant industry’s recovery stalled in January, reports The NPD Group. Physical and online visits to U.S. restaurants were down 2 percent in January compared to an 8-percent decline in January 2021. The 4-percent increase in consumer spending at restaurants reflects higher food and operational costs. Total restaurant traffic, online and physical, is down 10 percent from the pre-pandemic level in January 2020, according to NPD’s continual tracking of the U.S. foodservice industry.
Online and physical visits to quick-service restaurants, which represent the bulk of industry traffic and historically have led the industry out of challenging times, declined by 3 percent in the month compared to a year ago, when visits decreased 3 percent in January 2021, down 7 percent from January 2020. Full-service restaurant traff