NPD Reports Total U.S. Restaurant Unit Count Flat In 2008
According to The NPD Group’s report, ReCount, a census of commercial restaurant locations in the U.S., the total restaurant count was flat in 2008, compared with 2% growth in 2007 vs. 2006. Fine dining restaurants showed the steepest decline in number of units.
According to this report, the number of major and mid-size chain restaurants grew by 1% during 2008 while the number of smaller chains and independent restaurants each declined by 1%. The sharpest decline (-8%) was noted in fine dining restaurants, a relatively small portion of the overall restaurant segment.
http://www.npd.com/press/releases/press_090119.html