American consumers spent more eating and drinking at restaurants than on buying groceries for the first time since the U.S. Census Bureau began collecting such monthly data in 1992.
In March 2015, Americans spent $50.384 billion at “food services and drinking places,” compared to $50.089 billion at grocery stores, according to the Census Bureau’s monthly survey on retail activity in the United States.
The Census Bureau defines “food services and drinking places” as “establishments that prepare meals, snacks, and beverages to customer order for immediate on-premises and off-premises consumption.” Sales in this category have been increasing steadily since five years ago, with occasional dips from month to month. In March, it finally overtook sales at grocery stores for the first time.
