Strong Sales: Restaurant sales in August reaches new record high

Restaurant sales in August were the strongest in five months due to price increases and improved consumer confidence.

August restaurant sales were the strongest the market has seen in five months.

A study by Black Box Intelligence shows that same-store sales rose a little more than 5 percent on the year, largely due to price increases, while July only saw an increase of 0.7 percent.

The report notes the biggest increases were seen in full-service restaurants, followed by upscale casual, and lastly, casual dining. In-store traffic, however, declined nearly 2 percent in August, marking its sixth consecutive month of year-over-year declines.