Amidst areas spanning South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Virginia, and North Carolina, restaurants were severely impacted.
This came after already striving to recover from a challenging economic environment.
Communities continue to focus on rebuilding and aiding those who were most affected.
Likewise, the restaurant industry continues to feel the ripple effects of this tragic event.
What the Data says
According to our latest data, restaurant sales in multiple states saw a sharp decline during the week ending September 29th, as Hurricane Helene forced many to temporarily close their doors.
While some states experienced less widespread closures, the effects on sales were still substantial.
These figures are a stark reminder of the fragility of the restaurant industry’s recovery.
Additionally, each unexpected disruption can have a serious cascading effect on local economies.
Effects of Hurricane Helene During Week Ending Sep 29, 2024
|
State |
Percent of Units Not Reporting (closed for the week) |
Estimated Drop in Comp Sales Due to Hurricane |
|
South Carolina |
7.1% |
-8.2% |
|
Georgia |
1.7% |
-9.9% |
|
Tennessee |
0.9% |
-2.5% |
|
Florida |
0.7% |
-4.5% |
|
Virginia |
0.0% |
-2.8% |
|
North Carolina |
1.4% |
-5.0% |
How We Calculated Projected Impact
Here is our complete breakdown of those numbers compared to the US and previous weeks (all percentage figures are Year-on-Year comparisons over the same period in 2023):
|
State |
Week ending 09/01/24 |
Week ending 09/08/24 |
Week ending 09/15/24 |
Week ending 09/22/24 |
Avg. Previous 4 Weeks |
Week ending 09/29/24 |
Drop in Expected Sales |
|
Georgia |
1.95% |
1.74% |
1.80% |
1.37% |
1.72% |
-8.17% |
-9.9% |
|
South Carolina |
3.03% |
2.71% |
2.79% |
2.07% |
2.65% |
-5.58% |
-8.2% |
|
North Carolina |
1.92% |
2.38% |
2.47% |
2.23% |
2.25% |
-2.78% |
-5.0% |
|
Florida |
3.80% |
-0.49% |
-0.17% |
0.43% |
0.89% |
-3.56% |
-4.5% |
|
Virginia |
1.14% |
0.29% |
0.02% |
2.55% |
1.00% |
-1.79% |
-2.8% |
| Tennessee | -0.56% | -0.43% | -0.80% | -0.69% | -0.62% | -3.10% |
-2.5% |
It’s also important to note that the rest of the US saw numbers in line with the previous four weeks for the week the affected States were impacted.
|
State |
Week ending 09/01/24 |
Week ending 09/08/24 |
Week ending 09/15/24 |
Week ending 09/22/24 |
Avg. Previous 4 Weeks |
Week ending 09/29/24 |
|
US Excluding 6 States affected by Helene |
0.66% |
0.59% |
0.27% |
0.65% |
0.54% |
0.1% |
Certainly, the data indicates that most states saw fluctuating sales growth in the weeks leading up to the storm as they tried to gain traction going into Q4.
However, when we compare the overall Year-on-Year, we see drop in sales growth for the US of -1.6%.
Excluding the six affected states mentioned, this number was 0.4%.
This affirms that the hurricane had a significant negative impact on sales growth in the Southeast region compared to the rest of the country.
Conclusion
Our hearts go out to everyone impacted, and we will continue to provide updates on how the industry is navigating these challenges in the coming weeks.
In times like these, numbers tell only part of the story:
The resolve of these communities to come together and rebuild truly stands out.
As we continue to monitor the full extent of Hurricane Helene’s and the upcoming Hurricane Milton, we will update the data for the Restaurant Industry in the weeks ahead.