From CNBC:
Sales at eating and drinking places in April reached $45.9 billion, a
$200 million seasonally-adjusted increase from the previous high in
December 2012, according to preliminary figures from the U.S. Census
Bureau.
.....
"After totaling nearly $45.7 billion in December, eating and drinking
place sales were dampened somewhat during the first three months of
2013, likely due in part to the impact of the payroll tax hike," the
National Restaurant Association's Chief Economist Bruce Grindy wrote in
his analysis of the numbers. Sales have steadily increased since dipping
to $45.2 billion in February. Those numbers are expected to continue
rising, according the restaurant group's own survey.
