Research
April 16, 2025
Total restaurant industry sales
Restaurant sales registered a healthy gain in March
Restaurant sales posted a healthy increase in March, even as consumers ramped up spending in other areas.
Eating and drinking places* registered total sales of $98.3 billion on a seasonally adjusted basis in March, according to preliminary data from the U.S. Census Bureau. That was up 1.8% from February and represented the strongest monthly increase in more than 2 years.
The solid March sales reading came alongside a surge in consumer spending in other areas – notably a robust 5.3% increase at auto dealers. The speculation that consumers would fast track purchases in anticipation of tariff-generated price increases appeared to come to fruition in March. It remains to be seen whether this comes at the expense of sales in the months ahead.
Other categories seeing strong growth in March were building material and garden stores (+3.3%) and sporting goods and hobby stores (+2.4%). At the same time, spending at gas stations fell 2.5% in March, as lower pump prices freed up some dollars to be allocated to other areas.
Restaurant sales were uneven in recent months, with gains in January and March flanked by declines in December and February. The recent choppy sales performance – which followed 8 consecutive monthly gains – may be a byproduct of consumers’ growing unease about their household finances and the economy.
While the March sales volume at eating and drinking places represented a record high in nominal terms, the steady rise in menu prices drove much of the recent gains. After adjusting for menu price inflation, eating and drinking place sales rose 1.0% between March 2024 and March 2025. While modestly positive over year-ago levels, real restaurant sales were essentially flat during the past 2+ years. That is reflective of the industry’s ongoing challenge to increase customer traffic levels.
*Eating and drinking places are the primary component of the U.S. restaurant and foodservice industry and represent approximately 72% of total restaurant and foodservice sales.
Eating and drinking places* registered total sales of $98.3 billion on a seasonally adjusted basis in March, according to preliminary data from the U.S. Census Bureau. That was up 1.8% from February and represented the strongest monthly increase in more than 2 years.
The solid March sales reading came alongside a surge in consumer spending in other areas – notably a robust 5.3% increase at auto dealers. The speculation that consumers would fast track purchases in anticipation of tariff-generated price increases appeared to come to fruition in March. It remains to be seen whether this comes at the expense of sales in the months ahead.
Other categories seeing strong growth in March were building material and garden stores (+3.3%) and sporting goods and hobby stores (+2.4%). At the same time, spending at gas stations fell 2.5% in March, as lower pump prices freed up some dollars to be allocated to other areas.
Restaurant sales were uneven in recent months, with gains in January and March flanked by declines in December and February. The recent choppy sales performance – which followed 8 consecutive monthly gains – may be a byproduct of consumers’ growing unease about their household finances and the economy.
While the March sales volume at eating and drinking places represented a record high in nominal terms, the steady rise in menu prices drove much of the recent gains. After adjusting for menu price inflation, eating and drinking place sales rose 1.0% between March 2024 and March 2025. While modestly positive over year-ago levels, real restaurant sales were essentially flat during the past 2+ years. That is reflective of the industry’s ongoing challenge to increase customer traffic levels.
*Eating and drinking places are the primary component of the U.S. restaurant and foodservice industry and represent approximately 72% of total restaurant and foodservice sales.