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Despite a decline in traffic, the restaurant industry experienced growth in January, according to the National Restaurant Association. The Association's Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) jumped to 100.6 in January, up from December’s RPI of 99.7. An RPI over 100 signifies expansion among the National Restaurant Association.

The RPI consist of two factors - the Current Situation Index, which measures current trends, and the Expectations Index, which looks at restaurant operators’ six-month outlook. The Current Situation Index currently sits at 99.7 for January, a 0.3 percent increase from December’s mark.

Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of research for the National Restaurant Association, said although the RPI shows signs of growth for the industry, there is still some ways to go.

“Despite an uptick in the RPI in the first month of the year, restaurant operators still report mixed results about their business environment,” said Riehle. “Except for the capital expenditures arena, the current situation indicators remain dampened. However, operators are somewhat more optimistic regarding higher sales in six months.”

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Nick Powills

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Nick Powills

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Nick Powills, CFE, founded No Limit Agency in 2008 and serves as Chief Brand Strategist for the Chicago-based firm. No Limit is a full-service communications agency that establishes and elevates brands by bridging Public Relations, Social Media, Marketing, Advertising, Digital, and a lot of creativity, to best strategize well-rounded and successful campaigns for 50+ global franchise brands. By presenting visionary ideas and building real relationships, No Limit is able to create effective media branding strategies to help companies grow. Nick currently leads a staff of writers, media strategists, designers, social media experts and digital producers in an office think-tank where brands are humanized for strong, compelling media stories. Prior to starting No Limit at the age of 27, Nick spent four years working at a franchise PR agency where he mastered the art of building rapport with media outlets and creating newsworthy pitches for earned media placements. He holds a Bachelor of Journalism from Drake University in Iowa.

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