Restaurant operators reported mixed same-store sales results in September, continuing the trend of the last several months. 

Forty-five percent of restaurant operators said their same-store sales rose between September 2024 and September 2025, while 44% reported a sales decline. 

That was roughly on par with the readings in August, according to the National Restaurant Association’s monthly tracking survey.

While same-store sales readings held up in September, restaurant operators reported a deterioration in customer traffic levels. 

Thirty-four percent of operators said their customer traffic rose between September 2024 and September 2025, down from 38% in August. Fifty-two percent of restaurant operators reported lower traffic in September, up from 42% in August. 

September represented the eighth consecutive month in which operators reported a net decline in customer traffic.