U.S. RESTAURANTS GET BOOST AS STIMULUS PAYMENTS FLOW

The beleaguered restaurant industry is experiencing a boost as US$600 stimulus cheques get to American households. Restaurant sales were at their strongest since the start of the pandemic during the Jan. 4 to 17 period, according to the Facteus U.S. Consumer Spend Index, which tracks credit- and debit-card spending. TGI Friday's, Dave and Buster's Entertainment Inc. and Hooters of America have cited the stimulus when discussing higher demand. “People are getting real money in their pockets and getting back out,” Hooters chief executive Sal Melilli said. “I'm hoping we have a bridge here, that the stimulus helps get us to the mass vaccinations.” He added same-store sales — an important gauge of performance for restaurants — have inched up in January and customers are spending more on orders.