If your favorite restaurant seems a bit busier, that's because it probably is, and economists see that as a sign of growing consumer confidence.
So do restauranteurs.
"We see business picking up. I own restaurants in New York, Philadelphia and Florida…we see a bigger pickup in New York, much stronger. I hesitate to say happy days are here again, but it's starting to feel a lot like Christmas. We're feeling some joy," said Stephen Starr, founder of the Philadelphia-based Starr Restaurants group.
Consumer confidence in November rose to 54.1, its highest level in five months, according to the Conference Board Tuesday. Still at a subdued level, confidence made gains based on improving labor conditions and a rise in consumer expectations.
A lesser watched but interesting metric, the National Restaurant Association's restaurant performance index, shows a similar trend this week. The index, which measures the health and outlook for the industry, rose to 100.7 in October, up 0.4 percent from September and its strongest reading since September 2007.
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