Quick-service burger restaurants and gourmet coffee chains pushed restaurant traffic into positive territory in the third quarter, according to The NPD Group. Up 1%, this is the first time restaurant traffic has been positive after six consecutive quarters of flat or negative numbers. Marketing initiatives at burger and coffee restaurants, including delivery and value-priced menu items. Deal-related traffic for these two categories was up 7% during the quarter, “the strongest seen in quite some time,” NPD wrote. The fast-casual category, which includes Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. and Panera Bread, was up 8% year-over-year. Full-service restaurants, which includes casual dining and family dining, recorded a decline in visits. And retail foodservice, led by food and drug stores, posted the only traffic decline of any quick-service sub-category. Consumer spending at restaurants and other foodservice businesses increased 2% from last year, due primarily to higher menu prices. The PowerShares Dynamic Food & Beverage Portfolio is up 2.8% for the last three months, but down 2.7% for the year so far. The S&P 500 index is up 16.5% for the year to date.
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