For fast-food lovers, bad times are good

With the economy in a slide, US fast-food restaurants are rolling out big discounts and heavily promoting value, making this a golden time for diners on the run.

Fast food is the part of the restaurant business that usually holds up best when the economy tanks. Right now special offers and value pitches are keeping fast food sales humming, according to market researcher NPD Group.

Overall customer traffic at fast-food restaurants was up 1.5 percent during the three months that ended in August, according to NPD. But visits from customers who weren't responding to value pitches were actually down 0.9 percent during the same time. The difference is "deal traffic,"said Bonnie Riggs, an NPD restaurant analyst. "Any [restaurant] operator that's going to survive in this time has to have a strong value proposition."