About This Statistic
This statistic shows the restaurant industry performance index in the United States from 2011 to 2017, by month. In July 2017, the U.S. restaurant industry received an index score of 100.6.
The Restaurant industry performance index is a statistical barometer measuring the overall health of the U.S. restaurant industry. The index is based on the results of the monthly Restaurant Industry Tracking Survey composed of a variety of indicators including sales, traffic, labor and capital expenditures.
A value above 100 signals a period of expansion while a value below 100 signals a period of contraction.
More statistics and facts on fast food, the U.S. restaurant industry and the pizza (delivery) market.
Restaurants in the U.S. - additional information
Between fall 2011 and spring 2016, the number of restaurants in the United States increased from 611,566 to 624,301, according to a bi-annual NPD Group survey. The restaurant industry is one of the largest industries in the United States, reaching sales of 745.61 billion U.S. dollars in 2015, sales were forecasted to amount to 782.67 by 2016.
Quick service restaurants, such as McDonald’s and Subway, have become more and more popular within the last 50 years. Around 20 percent of U.S. consumers stated that they visited quick service restaurants once a week as of November 2016. Health problems, such as obesity, are often linked to the fast food consumption of U.S. consumers. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 63.2 percent of white Americans were overweight or obese in 2014 and this figure rose to 72.7 percent for the African American population. When consumers were asked why they choose to eat fast food during a survey in 2014, 67.2 percent said it was convenient and 31.7 percent said they chose to do so because it was cheap.
Despite the huge revenues of the U.S. fast food industry, quick service restaurant workers often earn low wages. In fact, the occupation was one of the lowest paid jobs in the United States in 2013, with an hourly wage amounting to 9.09 U.S. dollars.
