Restaurant operators reported stronger sales and traffic readings in February.

A solid majority of restaurant operators reported higher same-store sales in February, though that was largely because of dampened year-ago comparisons. 

Sixty-one percent of restaurant operators said their same-store sales rose between February 2025 and February 2026, according to the National Restaurant Association’s monthly tracking survey. That was up from 43% who reported higher sales in January. 

Only 27% of operators said their sales declined in February, down from 45% in January.

Restaurant operators also reported an improvement in customer traffic readings in February. 

Forty-three percent of operators said their customer traffic rose between February 2025 and February 2026, up from 36% in January. Thirty percent of restaurant operators reported lower traffic in February, down from 55% in January. 

February represented the first time in 13 months that operators reported a net increase in customer traffic.