The U.S. restaurant industry put up an impressive show in 2023 despite inflationary pressures that saw the Federal Reserve adopt an aggressive interest rate hike policy. However, consumers continued to spend lavishly at restaurants. The retail sector saw sales decline during this period, but the restaurant business continued to grow, and the trend has remained in 2024. Restaurant sales jumped again in January. The Commerce Department said that sales at U.S. bars and restaurants (adjusted for seasonal variat ...