“Know your numbers.” As a restaurant owner, perhaps you’ve heard this saying before. To run your business successfully, you need to be familiar with not only your own finances, but also other important numbers like restaurant industry statistics. This kind of information gives you key insight into the broader context of the industry and a benchmark to gauge your own success.
Being familiar with current restaurant statistics can help you better understand the shifts in the industry – including changing guest behavior – and enable you to keep up to date on the latest trends, so you can stay ahead of your competition.
In this article, we’ll present 81 restaurant industry statistics for 2024 from various TouchBistro reports and other trusted sources, including:
- Restaurant sales statistics
- Restaurant menu statistics
- Restaurant labor statistics
- Restaurant marketing statistics
- Restaurant technology statistics
- Restaurant consumer statistics
Let’s dive in!
Find out what today’s diners want, including how they choose restaurants, their dining habits, and their biggest deal-breakers.
Restaurant Industry Statistics
To understand where the industry is headed, you need to know a thing or two about its current state. Let’s have a look at a few U.S. restaurant industry trends for 2024.
- 749,000 restaurants in the U.S. as of 2023 (National Restaurant Association)
- 138,560: the number of single location full-service restaurants as of December 2023 (IBISWorld)
- 10,608 new restaurants opened in 2023, which is 5.7% more than in 2022 (2023 Restaurant Trend Report)
- 132,687: the number of chain restaurants as of 2022 (IBIS World)
- 3.9 restaurants per 10,000 households in San Francisco, California – the highest concentration per capita in the U.S. (Finances Online)
- $2,375: the average amount U.S. households spend on dining and takeout purchases each year (Motley Fool)
- 58% of restaurateurs cited inventory as their biggest source of financial stain in 2023 (2024 State of Restaurants Report)
- $51,863.20: the average amount of debt full service operators carried in 2023 (2024 State of Restaurants Report)
- 94% of full service restaurants planned to expand their business in some way in 2024 (2024 State of Restaurants Report)
- $1,767.54 billion: the size the U.S. foodservice market is expected to grow to by 2030 (Fortune Business Insights)
- 8,105: the number of ghost kitchen businesses in the U.S. (IBIS World)
Restaurant Sales Statistics
From inflation to changing diner habits, restaurant sales have been on a rollercoaster over the past few years. Let’s dig into some U.S. sales figures and restaurant revenue statistics to get the full picture.
- $997 billion: the total number of restaurant sales expected by the end of 2023 (2023 State of the Restaurant Industry, National Restaurant Association)
- $2,599,514.50: the average revenue for full service restaurants in 2023 (2024 State of Restaurants Report)
- 9.3%: the average profit margin for full service restaurants (2024 State of Restaurants Report)
- 67% of restaurants increased their menu prices in 2023 (2024 State of Restaurants Report)
- 23%: the proportion of business that restaurants process through online ordering, on average (2024 State of Restaurants Report)
- 17%: the average increase in sales that restaurants see from adding online ordering (2024 State of Restaurants Report)
- Restaurant spending was up 6.7% YTD in 2023 (2023 Restaurant Trend Report)
- $48 is the average spend for dine-in orders in the U.S. (2024 Diner Trends Report)
- $31 is the average spend for takeout orders in the U.S. (2024 Diner Trends Report)
- 5%: how much higher the average loyalty check is than the average non-loyalty check (Paytronix 2023 Loyalty Report)
Get the top trends and insights with our 2024 restaurant industry report.
Restaurant Menu Statistics
Now, we’ll look beyond restaurant revenue statistics at the dining trends that are shaping the industry – specifically when it comes to restaurant menus.
- 85% of diners look up the menu online before deciding on a new restaurant, up from 59% in 2017 (2024 Diner Trends Report)
- 43% of diners order takeout and delivery at least once a week (2024 Diner Trends Report)
- Friday is the most popular day of the week to order food (2023 Restaurant Online Ordering Trends)
- 6 p.m. local time is the most popular time to order food (2023 Restaurant Online Ordering Trends)
- 42% of restaurants plan to add more locally sourced ingredients to their menus in 2024 (2024 State of Restaurants Report)
- 31% of restaurants plan to add more non-alcoholic drinks to their menus in 2024 (2024 State of Restaurants Report)
- 45% of full service restaurants sell prepared foods and 42% sell grocery items (2024 State of Restaurants Report)
- 91,000 customers added Sirarcha to their meals in 2023 (Grubhub’s 2023 Delivered Trend Report)
- 10 million coffee beverages were ordered after 5 p.m. in 2023 (Grubhub’s 2023 Delivered Trend Report)
- 33%: the rise in popularity for pineapple on pizza in 2023 (Grubhub’s 2023 Delivered Trend Report)
Restaurant Labor Statistics
No list of restaurant numbers would be complete without information on labor, which is a critical with the minimum wage going up and labor costs on the rise.
- 82% of restaurants report being short at least one position in 2023 (2024 State of Restaurants Report)
- 34% of full service restaurants are short on dishwashers, making it the most in-demand position (2024 State of Restaurants Report)
- 3.1% is the average minimum wage increase restaurant operators say they can afford (2023 State of Restaurants Report)
- 29% of operators say they have cross-trained/repurposed staff to keep labor costs low (2024 State of Restaurants Report)
- $3,646 is the average cost of training a new restaurant employee (2024 State of Restaurants Report)
- 28% is the average employee turnover rate at full service restaurants (2024 State of Restaurants Report)
- 110 days is the average employee tenure (Restaurant Employee Retention 7shifts Data Study)
- 34% of staff cite wages as their reason for leaving or planning to leave a job (Restaurant Employee Retention: 7Shifts Data Study)
- 78% of restaurants spend more than $2,000 on training a new employee (2024 State of Restaurants Report)
- 59% of restaurants stay competitive by offering benefits (2024 State of Restaurants Report)
- 72% of employees ranked team communication as important to their satisfaction at work (2022 Labor Report)
- 33% of restaurant workers would like to see manager recognition come in the form of promotions (2022 Labor Report)
Get 3 actionable strategies for finding, hiring, and keeping great restaurant staff.
Restaurant Marketing Statistics
It’s essential to keep your finger on the pulse of restaurant marketing trends. Let’s explore the marketing channels and promotions making news among restaurant industry statistics in 2024.
- 72% of operators have a website for their restaurant (2024 State of Restaurants Report)
- 81% of restaurateurs use Facebook to promote their business, making it the #1 social media site for restaurant marketing in the U.S. (2024 State of Restaurants Report)
- 67% of restaurants currently offer a loyalty program (2024 State of Restaurants Report)
- 51% of customers find deals via a restaurant’s app, while 43% find deals via coupons in the mail (Bluedot’s The State of What Feeds Us, Vol VII)
- 44% of Gen Z diners are finding restaurant deals and coupons on social media (Bluedot’s The State of What Feeds Us, Vol VII)
- 53% of diners say email is their preferred way to hear from restaurants (2024 Diner Trends Report)
- 58% of diners are influenced to open restaurant emails for coupons/promotions (2024 Diner Trends Report)
- 63% of diners prefer generic offers over personalized offers (2024 Diner Trends Report)
- 46% are influenced to visit coffee shops when offered afternoon deals and offers (Bluedot’s The State of What Feeds Us, Vol VII)
- 43% of diners have checked a restaurant’s Google reviews in the last three months (2024 Diner Trends Report)
Restaurant Technology Statistics
The right technology is key to running a thriving restaurant. It’s time to dive into everything from POS statistics to QR code usage and more, so you can learn how your venue stacks up.
- 89% of operators use some form of AI in their restaurant (2024 State of Restaurants Report)
- 65% of restaurateurs have automated inventory management in their restaurant (2024 State of Restaurants Report)
- 70% of restaurateurs have automated payroll at their restaurant (2024 State of Restaurants Report)
- 59% of restaurateurs have automated staff scheduling at their restaurant (2024 State of Restaurants Report)
- 37% of restaurateurs say the biggest barrier to automation is the high upfront cost (2024 State of Restaurants Report)
- 76% of restaurants use a cloud-based POS system, while 23% report using a legacy POS system (2024 State of Restaurants Report)
- 54% of restaurateurs changed their POS system in the past year (2024 State of Restaurants Report)
- 40% of restaurateurs say ease of use is the most important factor when choosing a POS (2024 State of Restaurants Report)
- 33% of restaurateurs say customers support is the most important factor when choosing a POS (2024 State of Restaurants Report)
- 95% of restaurants use at least one online ordering platform, and on average, most use three platforms (2024 State of Restaurants Report)
- 23% of diners want the option to pre-schedule pickup and delivery orders (2024 Diner Trends Report)
- 11% of diners want the option to text their orders (2024 Diner Trends Report)
Restaurant Consumer Statistics
Your customers are the most important ingredient in the recipe for a successful restaurant business. Let’s examine diner habits, preferences, and behaviors, so you can serve up more love to your guests!
- 39% of diners are dining out at least once a week or more (2024 Diner Trends Report)
- 91% of diners have noticed price increases at restaurants (Bluedot’s The State of What Feeds Us, Vol VII)
- 77% of consumers have noticed that they’re paying the same amount of money for smaller portion sizes (Bluedot’s The State of What Feeds Us, Vol VII)
- 73% of customers are ordering off value menus more often due to costs (Bluedot’s The State of What Feeds Us, Vol VII)
- 62% of customers believe they are asked to leave a tip more often than they are accustomed to (2023 Restaurant Trend Report)
- 38% of diners say they only visit a new restaurant ever few months (2024 Diner Trends Report)
- 67% of diners rank quality of food as the #1 most important factor when dining in (2024 Diner Trends Report)
- 51% of diners decide where to eat based on location (2024 Diner Trends Report)
- 30% of diners prefer pick-up as their takeout method of choice (2024 Diner Trends Report)
- 46% of diners say they are currently part of a restaurant loyalty program (2024 Diner Trends Report)
- 29% of diners usually place a to-go order over the phone (2024 Diner Trends Report)
- 79% of Americans use the online ordering app DoorDash (2024 Diner Trends Report)
- 47% of U.S. diners prefer to pay for a meal by credit card, while 26% prefer to pay by debit card (2024 Diner Trends Report)
- 37% of Gen Z diners in the U.S. try a new restaurant weekly or more often (2024 Diner Trends Report)
- 36% of diners say they rarely make a reservation when visiting a restaurant (2024 Diner Trends Report)
- 54% of diners say a table wait time over 30 minutes would deter them from visiting a restaurant (2024 Diner Trends Report)
Find out what today’s diners want, including how they choose restaurants, their dining habits, and their biggest deal-breakers.
Industry knowledge is key to restaurant success. You now have a comprehensive list of 81 restaurant statistics in your back pocket. With knowledge of these restaurant numbers, you’ll be well-positioned to tackle whatever market conditions impact the sector in 2024.
Katherine is the Content Marketing Manager at TouchBistro, where she writes about trending topics in food and restaurants. The opposite of a picky eater, she’ll try (almost) anything at least once. Whether it’s chowing down on camel burgers in Morocco or snacking on octopus dumplings in Japan, she’s always up for new food experiences.
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