Restaurant sales registered a robust increase in March, according to preliminary data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Eating and drinking places totaled $62.2 billion on a seasonally adjusted basis in March — up 13.4 percent from February’s sales volume of $54.8 billion.
March represented the second healthy increase in the last three months, with total monthly sales rising more than $11 billion above the recent low registered in December 2020.
It wasn’t just restaurants that saw stronger sales in March, as consumers evidently spread the latest round of stimulus checks around their communities. Spending at sporting goods stores (+23.5 percent), clothing stores (+18.3 percent), vehicle dealers (+15.1 percent), department stores (+13 percent) and building supply stores (+12.1 percent) also rose sharply between February and March.
While the trendline is pointing in the right direction, the restaurant industry’s road to recovery remains long, as the boost from t
