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After a rough time during the recession, the number of sales in restaurants and bars in Alberta is bouncing back, according to new data from Statistics Canada.

While there was two consecutive months of sales declines earlier in the year for Alberta, there was a two per cent increase in March, reaching more than $776,700 in sales from nearly $762,000 in February.

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Many Alberta restaurant owners have been concerned about staying open due to increased costs from minimum wage hikes and a slowing economy.

However, despite restaurant closures, restaurant receipts reached an all-time high in Alberta last year, and between March 2017 and March 2018, there was also a 3.7 per cent sales gain.

Meanwhile nationally, sales in the food and drink services sector were up to $6 billion in March. According to Statistics Canada, higher sales at limited-service and full-service restaurants accounted for most of the gain.

Prices for food purchased in restaurants nationally were also up 4.4 per cent in March compared to last year, while prices for alcohol served in licensed establishments were up 2.2 per cent in the same period.

ajunker@postmedia.com

On Twitter: @JunkerAnna