Restaurant Traffic Stalls Amid Increase in COVID-19 Cases

The recovery of U.S. restaurant customer transactions has stalled for the second week in a row as COVID-19 cases continue to increase in many states, according to research firm NPD Group. For the week ending June 28, total customer transactions at major U.S. restaurant chains are down 14% versus the same week a year ago. For the week ending June 21, total transactions were down 13% versus a year ago.

The rise in COVID-19 case counts is causing local and state authorities to delay reopening, and in some cases, reinstating on-premise restaurant dining restrictions. In Texas, for example, restaurants may continue to offer on-premise dining, but capacity is rolled back from 75% to 50%. California announced recently the closing of its nearly 86,000 restaurants to on-premise dining.

Nationwide, full-service restaurants customer transactions for the week ending June 28 were down 25% versus the prior year and several states where COVID-19 is gaining saw the biggest declines in transactions.

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