NPD: U.S. restaurant count up by 4,442 units over last year

Chicago -- There were 4,442 more restaurants in the U.S. in fall 2012 than there were in fall 2011, according to a recent U.S. restaurant census conducted by The NPD Group.



The total number of U.S. restaurants is now 616,008, a .7% increase over last year, based on NPD’s Fall 2012 ReCount, which is a count of commercial restaurant locations in the United States compiled in the spring and fall each year.



According to The NPD Group’s CREST, which tracks consumer use of commercial and non-commercial foodservice outlets daily, total restaurant traffic was up 1% for the year ending November 2012, compared with the same period last year. U.S. consumers made 60 billion restaurant visits during the period.



“The changes in spending, consumer visits and unit growth while slight are, at least, on the positive side,” said Greg Starzynski, director - product management, NPD Foodservice. “I expected a cautious approach to unit expansion as consumer visits improved, and I have no reason to suspect that will change in the foreseeable future.”