A mixed start to the year for the hospitality sector, with flat national sales growth, and mounting pressure from operating costs

New data from the Restaurant Association, shows total sales for the first quarter, reached four-billion-dollars, a just one-percent increase compared to last year.

This represents an almost six-percent drop on the previous quarter.

CEO Marisa Bidois, says they'll hopefully turn this around, once economic conditions pick back up.

She says once people feel less under pressure financially, they'll head out more.