The National Restaurant Association determined that revenue for May at all U.S. restaurants, including QSRs, attained $88 billion on a seasonally adjusted basis.  This was up 0.4 percent from April but below the January high of $89.3 billion.  According to Bruce Grindy, Chief Economist of the National Restaurant Association, “Consumer spending at restaurants increased 8.0 percent over the past 12-months compared to the retail sector that posted a 0.7 percent increase.”  In reality traffic actually decreased and the recorded increase in sales value can be attributed to higher menu prices.  Effectively sales fell by 0.3 percent from May 2022 to the corresponding month this year. Quick service restaurants benefited from a one percent increase in sales that compensated for the decline in conventional restaurants. 

A parameter of importance to the U.S. egg sector was a five percent increase in visits to QSRs during the breakfast mealtime.  This is attributed to the post-COVID return to the workplace.  Visits to full-service restaurants declined by three percent in May 2023 compared to the corresponding month in 2022.  Chains experienced a one percent decline in traffic, but independents were more severely impacted at three percent.