Washington’s restaurant industry is expected to outgrow the rest of the nation next year, according to projections released Wednesday.
The industry is expected to post sales of $558 billion in 2008, a 4.4 percent increase over this year, the National Restaurant Association said.
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“That is a staggering sum,” said Hudson Riehle, the association’s senior vice president of research. “It’s a record high for the industry.”
D.C. is also on pace for growth; the association is projecting the District of Columbia will experience 4.6 percent growth and do $2.3 billion in sales.
Restaurant sales nationwide are being driven by growing disposable incomes and population, despite the sagging housing market; and Washington is no exception, Riehle said.
“We’re lucky that we have not only great job growth in terms of quantity, but quality jobs that typically reflect people that have enough money to go out to eat more frequently,” said David von Storch, founder of the Capitol City Brewery and Cafe 1612 restaurant.
The industry is expected to employ 13.1 million workers throughout the United States next year, according to the forecast; Riehle said it is the second-largest private-sector employer nationwide.
Looking ahead, von Storch said he does not expect a particular neighborhood or style of cuisine will encompass D.C.’s restaurant growth.
But he does think more area menus will offer healthier options, though not necessarily stereotypical “health foods.”
“I think by definition, when someone goes out to eat, they are doing so to treat themselves or reward themselves,” von Storch said. “So offering fat-free or very low-fat items that are not terribly tasty isn’t going to work.”
