The NPD CREST Performance Alert recorded a two percent increase in total restaurant transactions for the retail sales weeks of January 6th through February 2nd 2020.
QSR chains grew transactions by over two percent during the period compared to the corresponding four weeks in January 2019. In contrast the full-service restaurant segment did not benefit from increased sales. Customer transactions in casual dining restaurants declined by four percent and by two percent in mid-scale family dining restaurants.
NPD attribute the increased demand to milder January weather compared to the extreme conditions at the beginning of 2019 when regions in the northeast and the mid west were impact by a polar vortex and above average rainfall.