Ruth's Chris Sales Up 49%

HEATHROW, FL-Ten new locations, increased sales at comparable restaurants and an additional week of business in the fourth quarter helped boost quarterly sales at company-owned restaurants by 48.5% at Ruth’s Chris Steak House Inc., the company says. The $80.4 million in preliminary sales, which excluded franchise and other income, reflected about $25 million more than the $54.1 million in sales recorded by the company in the fourth quarter of 2005.

For the 13-week period ended Dec. 31 sales at comparable company-owned restaurants increased 7.4% due in large part to a 5.3% growth in the average check size and a 2% growth in entrée spending. The company says entry growth was related to Christmas, which occurred on Monday in 2006 and on Sunday in 2005.

Increased per-entrée spending was related to a 3.5% year-over-year price increase as well as additional guest spending on wine and other beverages. Same-restaurant sales at company-owned eateries lapped last year’s fourth quarter growth of 8.5%, the firm said.