* Sees same-store sales to fall 18-20 pct in '09

* Q3 loss/shr $0.04 vs est loss/shr $0.02

* Revenue fall 21.4 pct to $77.8 mln

* Q3 restaurant oper expenses rise 410 bp

* Shares fall 16 pct (Recasts; adds conference call details, updates share movement)

BANGALORE, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Upscale steakhouse chain Ruth's Hospitality Group Inc (RUTH.O: Quote, Profile, Research) posted a wider-than-expected quarterly loss, hurt by higher restaurant expenses amid a soft retail climate, sending its shares down nearly 16 percent.

On a conference call with analysts, Chief Financial Officer Robert Vincent said same-store sales in the company's Ruth's Chris segment were expected to fall 18 to 20 percent in 2009, but refrained from providing earnings outlook for the year.

Although leisure travel is seeing signs of improvement, the lagging corporate segment hurt fine-dining operators like Ruth's, which is dependent on business travellers for dragging traffic into its restaurants.

The company, which posted higher-than-expected profits in the previous two quarters on lower expenses, witnessed a sharp fall in sales in the third quarter, offsetting lower food and beverage costs primarily driven by favorable beef prices.