U.S. restaurants to benefit as grocery prices rise-NPD

"Right now, supermarket prices are rising faster than restaurant prices," said Harry Balzer, chief industry analyst at NPD and author of "Eating Patterns in America."

"The advantage is to the restaurant," said Balzer, who expects restaurant menu price increases to lag price hikes in the grocery aisle for all of this year.

While Americans prepare 72 percent of their meals at home, they spend almost half of their food dollars in restaurants, Balzer said.

Supermarket food prices peaked in 2008, dropped in 2009 and started to rise again in the last months of 2010.