Americans Cut Restaurant Spending as Taxes Bite: EcoPulse

By Anna-Louise Jackson & Anthony Feld

March 20 (Bloomberg) — Restaurants are reeling from their worst three months since 2010, as American diners spooked by higher payroll taxes cut back on eating out.

Sales at casual-dining establishments fell 5.4 percent last month, after declining 0.6 percent in January and 1.6 percent in December, according to the Knapp-Track Index of monthly restaurant sales.