Restaurant Operators Remain Pessimistic About Their Industry

The National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) slid for the second consecutive month in June, the result of a fairly gloomy mood among restaurant operators. The RPI dropped 0.4 percent from May to 102.0. Though the decline put the RPI at its lowest point in nine months, it was nevertheless the 28th month in a row that the index stood above 100, an indicator of continued expansion. Same-store sales and customer traffic levels remained positive in June, the NRA said, but the overall RPI declined because of “dampened optimism among restaurant operators.”