Olympia, WA (RestaurantNews.com) The Washington Restaurant Association has released the results of its monthly Washington Restaurant Industry Tracking Survey (WRITS), revealing that the majority of the state’s restaurateurs (56 percent) reported lower year over year sales and traffic for October. This has been a fixed trend throughout the fall season, despite last year’s low recessionary sales.
“When comparing yourself against an already-low bar, you hope that it would be an easy mark to meet or exceed, so it’s tough news to see that the majority of operators are still lower,” said Anthony Anton, president and CEO of the Washington Restaurant Association.
Nationally, restaurant sales and traffic are up for the fifth straight month, and historically Washington has trailed the national economy. This positive news from the collective U.S. restaurant industry could be a harbinger of recovery for Washington operators in 2012, despite the tough reality of today’s profit and loss figures.
Additionally, seasonal hiring in Washington’s restaurant industry also is an indicator of optimism within the sector, given the 3,000 additional jobs that were added in October, according to the Washington State Employment Securities Department.
“Yes, these continue to be tough times,” Anton said, “But, you have to be an optimist to make it in the restaurant business, and operators have reflected that by hiring up for their traditionally busy months. In the spirit of the holiday season, we can just as easily reflect on the encouraging signs we’re seeing, moving into 2012.”