The NPD Group confirmed that restaurant transactions for the week ending April 19th improved from a 43 percent decline last week to a drop of 36 percent.  Quick service restaurants were down 34 percent and full-service restaurants 72 percent.  There was an improvement in casual dining restaurants of 12 percent to a decline of 65 percent compared to the corresponding week in 2019.

NPD attributed the improvement in restaurant traffic to a gradual easing in COVID-19 restrictions and the fact that more restaurants are offering drive through, take-away meals and home delivery.