NRA forecasts a better year ahead

WASHINGTON The National Restaurant Association projected Wednesday that 2010 will include a gradual improvement in sales for the restaurant industry, as upticks in real disposable income, employment and national population counts drive the economy into a better light than the darkness of years past.

Industry sales are projected to reach $580.1 billion this year, a 2.5-percent increase in current dollars from 2009. When adjusted for inflation, 2010 sales will be