Trends

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U.S. Total Restaurant Count Increases by 3,045 Units Over Last Year, Reports NPD

Consumers visited restaurants 61 million times between May 2012 and May 2013.

 

There were 3,045 more restaurants in the United Sates in spring 2013 than there were in spring 2012, according to the U.S. restaurant census conducted by The NPD Group, a leading global information company. The total number of U.S. restaurants is 617,505, a .5 percent increase over last year, based on NPD's Spring 2013 ReCount, which is a count of commercial restaurant locations in the United States compiled in the spring and fall each year.

The Spring ReCount, which includes restaurants open as of March 31, 2013, shows that unit increases were among restaurant chains. The total chain restaurant count grew to 280,336, a 1.3 percent increase compared to last year's count. Independent restaurant units had a very slight decline to 337,169 units in the spring census period, a .2 percent decrease in units. Quick-service restaurant units stood at 328,162, up 1 percent, and unit counts for full service restaurants, which include casual dining, midscale/family dining, and fine dining, were flat at 289,343 units.

ReCount Spring 2013

According to The NPD Group's CREST, which tracks daily consumer use of commercial and non-commercial foodservice outlets, total restaurant traffic was flat for the year ending May 2013, compared to the same period last year. U.S. consumers made 61 billion restaurant visits during the period. NPD's recently released A Look Into the Future of Foodservice report forecasts a four percent growth in restaurant supper visits through 2022, which is less than half a percent a year.