CHICAGO -- There were 4,442 more restaurants in the United States in fall 2012 than there were in fall 2011, according to a recent U.S. restaurant census conducted by The NPD Group, a leading global information company. The total number of U.S. restaurants is now 616,008, a 0.7% increase over last year.
The number is 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.
The Fall 2012 ReCount, which includes restaurants open as of Sept. 30, 2012, shows that most of the increase in units were in the quick-serve restaurant (QSR) segment. The segment showed a 1% increase in units or an additional 4,037 units.
Full-service restaurant units, which include casual dining, midscale/family dining and fine dining restaurants, remained relatively stable from the Fall 2011 ReCount. The total chain restaurant count grew to 276,238, or a 1.1% increase compared to last year's count.
Independent restaurant units remained stable at a total count of 339,770, a slight increase of 0.4%, which is the second consecutive increase for independents since 2009, reported NPD.
According to The NPD Group's CREST, which tracks consumer use of commercial and noncommercial foodservice outlets daily, total restaurant traffic was up 1% for the year ending Nov. 2012 compared to 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 of product management for 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."
The NPD Group, Chicago, provides global information and advisory services for the automotive, beauty, entertainment, fashion, food and foodservice, home, office supply, sports, technology, toy, video game and wireless sectors.
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