Restaurant rise: The value of total receipts for Chinese restaurants grew 16.5% in last year's fourth quarter.

The value of total receipts for the restaurants sector was $18.8 billion in last year's fourth quarter, up 15.1% on the same period last year, the Census & Statistics Department says. The value of total purchases by restaurants also rose 21.3% to $6.6 billion.

After discounting the effect of price changes total restaurant receipts rose 11.1% in volume.

Analysed by restaurant type, total receipts of bars surged 17.7% in value or 15.6% in volume. Total receipts of non-Chinese restaurants grew 17.6% in value or 14.1% in volume, while total receipts of Chinese restaurants went up 16.5% in value or 12.1% in volume.

Total receipts of miscellaneous eating and drinking places rose 11.3% in value or by 8.6% in volume. For fast food shops total receipts rose 7.7% in value or 3.8% in volume.

On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, the volume of total restaurant receipts in last year's fourth quarter grew 3% on the third.

For last year as a whole the value of total receipts for the restaurants sector was $69.9 billion, up 13.5% in value or 10.7% in volume over a year earlier. The value of total purchases of restaurants also surged 16.8% to $24.1 billion.

The year saw total receipts of non-Chinese restaurants rise 16.7% in value or 13.9% in volume. Total receipts of Chinese restaurants rose 14.5% in value or 11.5% in volume, while total receipts of miscellaneous eating and drinking places grew 9.5% in value or 6.5% in volume.

For bars last year's total receipts grew 9.3% in value or 6.2% in volume, while total receipts for fast food shops also rose 7.8% in value or 5.1% in volume.

The Report on Quarterly Survey of Restaurant Receipts & Purchases can be downloaded free here. Questions? Call 2123 1040.