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have exceeded pre-COVID levels nearly every month since March 2021, according to Census Bureau data. This is partly due to higher food prices overall鈥攖he Department of Agriculture .

Notably, however, the growth rate of annual restaurant sales is increasing over time as well. Between 2021 and 2022, annual restaurant sales grew by 6.1%. In contrast, the annual restaurant sales growth rate ranged between 3.2% and 3.7% from 2016 to 2019. Part of this growth is attributable to the surge in carryout and delivery sales. A study called the "Agency Forward Restaurant Survey" by Nationwide Insurance revealed that聽at least to their offerings since 2020. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the food delivery market saw its most rapid growth in 2020 due to the pandemic. The industry is .

Though the restaurant industry is outperforming its projected recovery, challenges remain. The leisure and hospitality industry is short nearly half a million workers from 2020 levels, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. In fact, the ongoing labor shortage in the country is rather concentrated in industries comprising restaurants, which have聽, per the Department of Commerce. The unemployment rate in the leisure and hospitality industry is also聽.

Restaurant owners also face slimmer profit margins due to inflation and supply chain difficulties. Wholesale food prices are up 13.2%, while menu prices are only up about 8%, . Operation costs鈥攕uch as electricity, utilities, and rent鈥攁re also increasing, further reducing owners' profit margins.

While inflation is affecting profit margins and menu prices, it has not yet seemed to impact customer enthusiasm for spending on eating out. In fact, Americans are spending more on restaurants than groceries per month.

In 2022, the average consumer spent on groceries鈥攁nd that gap continued to widen throughout this year. Since February 2023, Americans have than before.

Story editing by Ashleigh Graf. Copy editing by Paris Close. Photo selection by Clarese Moller.