Restaurant Sales Keep Growing – But Not Everywhere in Hawai‘i

O‘ahu sales are flat on average, but gains continue elsewhere, according to the Food Gurus Index.

Hawai‘i’s restaurants continue to enjoy month-over-month increases in sales, with Maui, Hawai‘i Island and resort area restaurants leading the way, according to the Food Gurus Hawaii Restaurant Index.

Average daily sales were up 7% statewide in June over May. But sales averages were up 14% at Maui restaurants, up 10% on Hawai‘i Island and up 11% at restaurants in Waikīkī and other resort areas.

O‘ahu restaurants outside of resort areas were the exception: Daily sales were flat and the number of transactions in June was actually down 1%. That comes after five months of growth in most categories each month, according to the Food Gurus index, which tracks over 3 million transactions monthly at more than 130 restaurant locations statewide.

Food Gurus Hawaii supplies details of the index each month to Hawaii Business Magazine.

Doug Harris, founder of Food Gurus Hawaii, says months of price increases paid by restaurants to their suppliers are now reaching customers. “Supply chain inflation is starting to appear in menu pricing as ticket averages increased 4% statewide” – the biggest month-over-month hike in average ticket price since the index launched in January 2021.

Dine-in restaurants recorded the greatest menu price increase, up 5% on average, Harris says, while quick-serve restaurants raised prices an average of 1%.

Harris points out other trends:

• Shortages of restaurant staples like cups were widespread in May and got worse in June.
• Guest counts at casual and fine dining restaurants were down 1% in June after months of steady gains. Harris thinks this could mean these restaurants are operating at or near capacity.
• When comparing January to June, daily sales statewide are up 62%, with nearly nine-tenths of that growth coming from additional transactions; only about one-tenth came from increased spending per customer.

Here are the full results of the index:

Note: Many restaurants have stopped deliveries to focus on in-person customers. The index no longer tracks deliveries because month-to-month comparisons no longer make sense.