The National Restaurant Association’s (NRA) comprehensive index of restaurant activity increased by 0.6% from January to stand at 10.1.9 in February -- remaining above the key 100-point benchmark that signals growth in the industry.

"Buoyed by continued gains in national employment and an extra day in February as a result of Leap Year, a solid majority of restaurant operators reported positive same-store sales and traffic results," said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of the Research and Knowledge Group for the Association. "Perhaps the most positive indicator is the optimistic outlook for staffing levels in the months ahead. Only seven percent of restaurant operators expect to reduce staffing levels in the next six months, the lowest level in nearly eight years."

Juli says: After weeks of disappointing news for the beef industry re: the Lean, Finely Textured Beef fiasco, it's good to be reminded of strong restaurant demand.

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