Restaurant visits last year fell as Americans opted for a brown bag rather than a two-martini lunch, research firm NPD Group said Wednesday.

Visits to sit-down casual dining spots, a sore spot for the restaurant industry for years, continued to slide. That segment includes restaurants like Applebee's, Chili's and Maggiano's and has lost business to quick-service restaurants as more people opt for food on the go.

But even fast-food restaurant visits stalled last year, NPD said, highlighting how the food industry has been slow to adapt as consumers opted for options like grocery store hot food or cook-at-home meal kits. McDonald's, for example, has said that improving customer traffic is one of its top priorities this year after promotions like all-day breakfast failed to lure in new customers and reverse a yearslong traffic slide. Fast-food restaurants make up 80 percent of total restaurant visits.

Lunch was the biggest culprit in the sluggish year for restaurants, as more people worked from home, chose to eat at their desks and shopped online. A rise in online shopping means fewer shoppers trudging around malls and grabbing a bite to eat in between stores.

Despite a decline in restaurant customers, those who did eat out spent slightly more. Overall spending at restaurants increased 2 percent last year.

sbomkamp@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @SamWillTravel

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