Dismal spending trends at restaurants may be here to stay, said an RBC Capital Markets analyst on Tuesday.

Shopping up an appetite? Restaurants, which have been hit hard by the economic downturn, certainly hope so.

Restaurants, now working to secure supply and price contracts for meat and other commodities for the upcoming year, are expecting big increases in food costs.

After a second quarter of too many empty tables and falling profits, restaurant companies are planning to woo diners back with lower-priced dishes as the weather grows colder.