Restaurant Operators Report Stronger Sales, Improving Traffic in August

Conditions in the restaurant industry strengthened for the fourth straight month as operators saw higher same-store sales and improving customer traffic, according to the latest Restaurant Performance Index from the National Restaurant Association.

The index stood at 100.6 in August, a 0.3% improvement from July and the highest reading since February. The index is designed to measure the overall health of the restaurant industry, with any value over 100 indicating a period of expansion.

A majority of operators (51%) reported a year-over-year increase in same-store sales in August. That was up from 47% who said the same in July. By comparison, 31% of respondents said their year-over-year sales were down and 18% said they were about the same.

Customer traffic was more mixed, as operators noted a net decline in August. Still, readings were better than in recent months. Forty-three percent of operators said customer traffic rose from August 2025 to August 2026 — up from 40% in July. On the other side, 46% said customer traffic fell year-over-year, down from 49% the month before.

With sales and customer traffic trending in a positive direction, operators are gaining optimism about their growth. Forty-four percent said they expect their sales volume to be higher in six months than it was during the same period the year before, the highest reading since the February 2025 survey period. That optimism appears to be encouraging equipment purchases, as 54% of operators said they made a capital expenditure for equipment, expansion, or remodeling during the previous three months, up from 52% in July. Additionally, 56% of operators are now planning a capital expenditure in the next six months.

The full Restaurant Performance Index for August 2026 is available here.