The average American's restaurant visits reached a 28-year low this year. Data gathered by the NPD Group shows a particular decline since 2008. Should restaurant owners be worried? Not if they are in Houston. We asked Melissa Stewart, Executive Director of the Houston Restaurant Association what she has seen in Our City. She said, “Dollar for dollar we are actually seeing upward trends as far as the health of the restaurant industry and the expansion of the industry here.”
She does see one Houston group, however, that is seeing a bit of slack. “What we may be seeing less of is quick service meals [fast food!].”
That could be because, according to data gathered by the NPD Group, McDonald's, Jack in the Box, Shake Shack, and Wendy's have all raised prices during the last year. But just like real estate sales and hiring trends, things are better in Houston than in most of the country.