Restaurant Operators Optimistic for Sales Increase Over Next Six Months

Conditions in the restaurant industry improved in January as operators reported better same-store sales and customer traffic, according to the latest National Restaurant Association monthly Restaurant Performance Index.

The index, which measures the overall health of the restaurant industry, rose 0.6% from December, reaching a level of 99.9. That figure is slightly below the 100 mark that indicates a period of expansion for the industry. Although conditions are mixed right now, the association found that 32% of operators expect their sales will be higher in six months, while only 12% anticipate a decline.

The index’s uptick in January was largely credited to improved sales. Forty-three percent of restaurant operators reported higher same-store sales between January 2025 and January 2026, up from 37% who said the same in December. Similarly, fewer operators (45%) reported a year-over-year sales decline in January, compared to 53% in December.

Although customer traffic remains a challenge, year-over-year results improved compared with December. Thirty-six percent of operators said their customer traffic rose compared to January 2025, up from 28% the month before. Meanwhile, 55% reported a decline, down from 60% in December. While improving, January represented the 12th consecutive month in which operators reported a net decline in customer traffic.

The ongoing struggles with customer traffic do not appear to be affecting sales projections. The index found that 32% of operators expect their sales volume in six months to be higher than the same period in the previous year. While that figure was relatively unchanged compared to last month, the number of operators expecting a sales decrease fell from 25% in December to only 12% in January.

While sales and customer traffic remain in flux from month to month, the number of operators making or planning a capital expenditure has remained steady. Fifty percent of operators said they had purchased equipment or funded an expansion or remodel during the last three months, marking the eighth consecutive month in which at least half of operators reported an expenditure. Looking ahead, 53% of operators said they plan to make an equipment purchase or conduct a remodel or expansion sometime in the next six months. That represented the 10th consecutive month in which a majority of operators reported capital spending plans.

The full National Restaurant Association Restaurant Performance Index is available here.