sales and profits

Consumer Trends

Restaurant sales expected to top $1T for the first time in 2024

But the National Restaurant Association projects in its annual State of the Industry Report, margins will be squeezed by high inflation.

Financing

Kura Sushi USA sees a rise in traffic, but profits remain elusive

The fast-growing sushi chain projects that it will be helped later this year by a major change in California's wage requirements.

The three multi-concept restaurant operators showed significant declines, with at least one blaming more serious consumers.

Reality Check: The retail component of the family dining concept drew off sales and profits during the brand's most recent quarter. Maybe it's time to leave the shops out of future Cracker Barrels.

The Bottom Line: Burger King operator Carrols, Cava and Wingstop were the big winners. But there were plenty of concepts that would rather have that one back.

The Bottom Line: After “pent-up demand” kept customers coming back in 2022, restaurants have to work harder in 2023 to get customers coming in the door.

Steering more customers toward self-ordering will be a major strategic objective through 2024, executives say. The chain will also strive to cut its development and construction costs by 10%.

Both companies say market conditions are complicated by the particulars.

The drop-off pushed traffic into negative territory, but executives say a simultaneous rise in on-site business is better for the concept.

A Deeper Dive: Jim Balis, managing director with CapitalSpring, joins the podcast to talk about the state of the restaurant industry and mergers and acquisitions.

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