Restaurant owners more optimistic about recovery

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The restaurant industry continues its modest recovery, according to the latest monthly survey by the National Restaurant Assn.

The trade group’s measure of optimism and expansion was up slightly in December for the third time in four months. Customer traffic as well as same-store sales were up last month compared to the previous year, said Hudson Riehle, the group’s head of research. About 55% of the restaurant owners surveyed said they expected higher sales in the next six months, the highest number in four years. In another sign of optimism, about 50% said they expect to make capital improvements in the coming six months, the most in three years.

The news comes on the heels of a more sobering report released last month by the research company NPD Group, which showed that small mom-and-pop restaurants continued to suffer and go out of business by the thousands last year.

-- Sharon Bernstein