New York-based high-end, high-volume restaurant chain Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group has reported increased sales for the fiscal month of August 2002. Total owned restaurant sales for the four weeks ended 26 August increased 16% from the corresponding period last year. Comparable owned restaurant sales for the month were up 3.3% from a year ago. For the first two months of the Q3, the company's total owned restaurant sales of US$10.1m rose 15.7% from US$8.7m for the prior year, while comparable owned restaurant sales of US$9m were up 3.1% from US$8.7m in the prior year.