The Avero Index tracks year-over-year same-store sales performance of restaurants representing different cuisines, venue types, and average checks, nationally and in several specific markets.
Nation-wide restaurant sales:
This May, restaurant sales continued to outperform last year’s sales by 2.1%. Continuing the trend we’ve reported since March, an increase in average check outweighed a national decrease in traffic. This May, restaurants saw average check grow 2.9% while covers dropped 0.7% compared to May 2017.
Taking a deeper look at menu sales, overall beverage sales this May struggled with wine sales 13.9% below last year’s sales and beer sales 10.5% below. Conversely, on the food menu, appetizers saw a strong month with sales beating last year’s by 11.6% and dessert sales 5.4% above last May.
Atlanta:
Last Spring, Atlanta restaurants suffered after the collapse of a bridge on Interstate 85 (I-85). The aftermath of the accident led to traffic and congestion around the entire city that managed to also affect the sales at local restaurants. In comparison, this Spring, Atlanta restaurants have fared far better.
Mac Angulo, VP of Operations of Ford Fry Restaurants based in Atlanta, also attributes the recent success of restaurants in Atlanta to a growing market and a “renewed sense of excitement about dining out in Atlanta. New restaurants seem to be opening up with great success without overly impacting existing restaurants around the city.”
New York:
New York restaurants also saw strong sales this May compared to 2017. The increase of gross sales by 2.4% seems largely driven by an increase in breakfast and lunch sales this month. Breakfast and lunch sales grew 3.7% while dinner and late-night sales fell 0.1% compared to last May. This sales performance shows a continued rise in New York City breakfast and lunch sales over the last year.
Las Vegas:
Restaurants in Las Vegas saw a decrease of 0.4% in gross sales compared to last May. Some of our Las Vegas Avero account executives had expected the change from May to June for the Electric Daisy Carnival this year to cause an overall sales boost in the city this May. Instead, it seems a loss of weekend restaurant sales by 3.6% caused an overall decrease to restaurants in Las Vegas.
Updated through May 31, 2018
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