Houston Restaurant Sales Were Stronger In 2016 Than They Were Last Year

Houston’s economy may have been struggling elsewhere, but it looks like the local downturn didn’t impact the city’s restaurants. In fact, sales are up significantly.

A new report from the Houston Business Journal says that local restaurants saw a 15% increase in sales in 2016 over last year’s numbers. “This year was the first year ever where restaurant sales surpassed the sales of grocers,” CBRE’s Jazz Hamilton told the Journal.

Hamilton also says that these numbers could indicate an even bigger uptick in restaurants in 2017, a trend that’s already evidenced by the expansion of high-profile concepts from outside the city, like Shake Shack, Austin’s Chi’Lantro, and Hopdoddy Burger Bar, all of which plan to open their doors next year.

Undoubtedly, Houston’s role as host city for Super Bowl LI in February plays some part in the massive expansion. The influx of football fans from across the country is expected to bring more than $500 million in revenue to the city, a large chunk of which will likely be spent at Houston restaurants. Plenty of concepts are rushing to open (or reopen) their doors ahead of the big game, including Chris Shepherd’s One Fifth Steak and Corner Table.

One thing’s for sure, though: the continued expansion of Houston’s dining landscape only means delicious things for diners in 2017.

• Retail broker: Houston restaurant sales up 15 percent [Houston Business Journal]