MRM Research Roundup: Mid-September 2019 Edition

This edition of Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine's Research Roundup features news about the Achilles heel of August,  peer pressure dining, the popularity of guacamole and UK eating habits.

The Achilles Heel of the  Restaurant IndustryThe sales slowdown continued for the restaurant industry in August as same-store sales fell again year over year. Growth was -0.7 percent for August, the second consecutive month in which the industry failed to grow its same-store sales. The last time the industry experienced two consecutive months of negative same-store sales growth was in January and February of 2018, when the weak sales could be largely attributed to bad winter weather. The latest disappointing results could not be attributed to any external factors, thus raising questions about the current health of the industry. This update comes from Black Box Intelligence™ data from TDn2K™, based on weekly sales from over 31,000 locations representing 170+ brands and $72…