According to Nation’s Restaurant News, “The National Restaurant Association’s monthly Restaurant Performance Index hit a 22-month high in December, driven by improving sales and traffic trends, as well as operator optimism that hit its highest level in two years.”

“The NRA’s index, or RPI, is a composite look at the industry’s health based on operator results and monthly surveys. It tracks restaurant industry same-store sales, traffic, labor and capital expenditures, and is based on a 100-point scale, with results above that level signifying growth, and results below signifying contraction. It consists of two components, the Current Situation Index and the Expectations Index. In December, the index reached 98.7, a 0.9-percent uptick from November, according to the NRA’s report released Friday. Below the 100 mark, however, the result represented the 26th consecutive month of industry contraction. Still, a greater percentage of restaurant operators reported gains in same-store sales and guest traffic compared with the prior month, while a decreasing share of operators complained of erosion in those areas, the NRA said. Operator expectations for rising sales and improved economic trends in the next six months also improved,” the story said. 

Read more: http://www.nrn.com/breakingNews.aspx?id=378882&menu_id=1368#ixzz0eIk5R4fy