September 28, 2005 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Restaurant productivity growth in 2004

Three of the four industries in food services and drinking places recorded productivity gains in 2004.

[Chart data—TXT]

The fastest productivity growth, 3.3 percent, occurred in limited-service eating places. Limited-service restaurants are those where patrons generally order or select items and pay before eating.

Productivity grew 2.3 percent in the largest industry in this group, full-service restaurants. 

The only industry in this group with a decline in productivity was special food services; establishments in this industry are primarily engaged in providing food services at the customer's location, a location designated by the customer, and/or from motorized vehicles or nonmotorized carts.

This information is from the BLS Productivity and Costs Program. In this article, productivity is defined as output per hour. Additional information is available from "Productivity and Costs by Industry: Wholesale Trade, Retail Trade, and Food Services and Drinking Places, 2004" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 05-1820.