Full-service restaurants had the weakest performance of all dining sectors in this year’s first quarter. Placer.ai’s The Dining Index calls fast-casual restaurants (such as Chipotle, Five Guys, Panera Bread and Sweetgreen) “a clear standout, outperforming other dining formats and signaling strong demand.” Business at quick-service restaurants (think McDonald’s, Burger King, Subway and Starbucks) was flat, while visits declined 1.4% at full-service establishments. It fell almost 2% on weekends, long considered a strength of fine dining. The quarterly report notes that “the data points to a dining environment increasingly defined by value.” Placer.aI measures foot traffic via cell phone data.
