Retail stores and restaurants are seeing a steady rise in business as more Americans are ready to put the pandemic behind us.
The overall trend is upwards according to the latest data. Researchers at Zenreach found a 90-day period going back to January first showed a nearly 48 percent increase from where we were in 2020. The Greater Houston area is also on the up. Data shows a 25.6% increase in foot traffic for the food and beverage industry.
“Houston has been very fortunate to have a combination of good laws, good weather, and just great adaptable restauranteurs to fill in that gap,” Melissa Stewart, executive director for the southeast region of the Texas Restaurant Association. “People really want to be together and be outside for sure.”
Stewart also says there is a lot of pent-up demand in our area to get out of the house. She anticipates a steady recovery as we move into the summer.