NEW YORK – According to the latest NRN-MillerPulse survey, restaurant industry same-store sales increased 1.3% last month, a modest drop from October’s gain, with traffic slowing across the industry, Nation’s Restaurant News reports.

NRN characterized the activity as “limping to the finish line” for 2013, adding that restaurant operators have expressed optimism for 2014.

“Operators are optimistic that 2014 will be a better year, a more normal year, with sales up 2.8% on average for the industry,” said Larry Miller, founder and chief executive of the MillerPulse report.

Operators have projected same-store sales at fast-casual restaurants to rise 3.7% next year, with QSRs increasing 2.9% and casual dining up 2%.

“If the operators are right, profits could expand quite nicely as the forecast for labor (+ 2.6%) and food inflation (+1.4%) are tame, and price is planned at +1.5%,” the report said. 

Miller said macroeconomic trends, including job growth and rising home prices, support the optimistic view.

However, he conceded that those trends have been improving throughout 2013, while casual dining sales eroded, dragging down overall industry numbers.

For the third time in four months, industry traffic was down, off 0.8% in November, with QSR sales up 1.9%, fast-casual sales up 1%, and fast-casual traffic down 0.7%. December is likely to fare even worse, due to the abbreviated holiday season.