The restaurant industry finally seems ready to show improvements in the second half of 2011. Riding on the back of a slowly reviving U.S. economy and the consequent rise in comparable-store sales, restaurant operators have managed to post improved results in recent months. We expect restaurant companies to continue delivering better numbers in the upcoming quarter over the year-earlier period.

A recent survey by the National Restaurant Association revealed that the Restaurant Performance Index (RPI), measuring the health and outlook on the U.S. restaurant industry, was 100.7 in February, up 0.4% from January. The RPI gain in February connotes improvements in same-store sales and customer traffic.

The Current Situation Index, which measures comparable-store sales, traffic counts, labor costs and capital expenditures in the restaurant industry, was 99.4 in February, up 0.9% sequentially. The Expectations Index, which measures restaurant operators’ six-month’s outlook on the above indicators, stood at 101.9, up slightly from 101.8 in the prior month. Restaurant operators’ capital spending plans rose to the highest level in 40 months reaffirming their optimistic outlook on the industry.To Know Deatil CLICK Here