Get the facts with the latest National Statistics
The size, scope and impact of the U.S. restaurant industry
Restaurant Industry Facts at a Glance
- 9 in 10 restaurants have fewer than 50 employees
- 7 in 10 restaurants are single-unit operations
- 8 in 10 restaurant owners started their industry careers in entry-level positions
- 9 in 10 restaurant managers started in entry-level positions
- 63% of adults have worked in the restaurant industry, making it the nation’s training ground
- Restaurants employ more minority managers than any other industry
- 41% of restaurant firms are owned by minorities – compared to 30% of businesses in the overall private sector.
- Waitstaff at fullservice restaurants earn a median of $27.00 an hour, with an upper quartile of $41.50 and a lower quartile of $19.00.
Economic Contributions of the Restaurant and Foodservice Industry
Eating and drinking places will directly contribute $1.4T in output (or sales) to the U.S. economy in 2024 dollars, based on estimates of publicly available 2022 data. That’s roughly equivalent to 6% of real GDP. In addition, in 2022, the industry reported it had 14.2M employees and $472.4B in total labor income. That included all sources of income—wages, salaries, and proprietors’ income—as well as benefits.
These contributions will spur additional spending in the U.S. economy, including from employees, suppliers, and others in the surrounding area. Adding in these additional impacts, the industry will make a total contribution of $3.5T in output to the U.S. economy in 2024, or 15.6% of real GDP, with 22.9M employees and $1.1T in total labor income.
Get more information about the economic impact of the restaurant industry in individual states here.