Total receipts for the restaurants sector were $17.6 billion in the third quarter of 2007, up 15.1% on the same quarter of 2006. Over the same period, the value of restaurants' total purchases increased 16.3%, to $6 billion.

The Census & Statistics Department said total restaurant receipts rose 12.2% in volume in Q3 as compared to a year earlier, after discounting the effect of price changes.

Analysed by type of restaurant, total receipts of non-Chinese restaurants rose 17.9% in value, or 14.7% in volume in Q3 as compared to a year earlier.

Chinese restaurants' total receipts grew 16.6% in value or 13.7% in volume, while total receipts of bars rose 12.8% in value or 12.1% in volume.

Total receipts of fast food shops rose 8.7% in value or 5.9% in volume. As for miscellaneous eating and drinking places, total receipts grew 6.6% in value or 3.9% in volume.

On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, the volume of total restaurant receipts rose 2.2% in Q3 as compared to Q2.

Taking the three quarters together, total restaurant receipts grew 2.9% in value or 10.4% in volume over a year earlier.