National Restaurant Association reports record low performance index

The outlook for the restaurant industry worsened in November, as the National Restaurant Association’s comprehensive index of restaurant activity fell to a record-low level. The Association’s Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) – a monthly composite index that tracks the health of and outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry – stood at 96.7 in November, down 0.4 percent from October and its 13th consecutive month below 100.

The Restaurant Performance Index is based on the responses to the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Industry Tracking Survey, which is fielded monthly among restaurant operators nationwide on a variety of indicators including sales, traffic, labor and capital expenditures. The Index consists of two components — the Current Situation Index and the Expectations Index.