70+ Must-Have Restaurant Statistics

We believe in the power of stats, from data analytics to using research for your menu engineering. Every day, we dig deeper and deeper into the world around us through the lens of restaurant operations. We do that by seeking data that is both rich and current so that we can remain as up-to-date as possible. Our searches have taken us through more and more restaurant statistics in our quest to best understand changes to the industry, which is why we tend to have so many links in our blogs. We want you to have access to the same research that we do so that you can build your own conclusions. 

So what can you do with this information? Well, by reviewing restaurant statistics as they pertain to demographics, you can better understand how to meet your market. With the restaurant industry trying to rebuild their team bigger and better than ever, you can learn how to remain competitive in an increasingly limited market. 

General Restaurant Statistics

• As of February 2021, there are 148,406 full-service, single-location restaurant operations in the U.S. [Source]
• The U.S. hosts 100,383 chain restaurant businesses as of April 2021. [Source]
• The UK boasts 35,770 full-service restaurants. [Source]
• U.S. diners are tipping an average of 15% as of May 2020, up from 11% in 2019. [Source]
• The NRA projects $228.8 billion in 2021 sales for full-service restaurants. [Source]
• The UK restaurant sector is expected to grow by 32.1%. [Source]
• Americans dine out between 4-5 times per week, as of 2020. [Source]
• 72% of Americans dine at quick-service restaurants for lunch. [Source]

Employment Statistics

• The restaurant industry employs 12.5 million people in the U.S., which is 3.8% of the total population. [Source]
• As of May 2020, there were 11.26 million people employed by the U.S. restaurant industry. [Source]
• Prior to the pandemic, the U.S. restaurant industry experienced an annual turnover rate of 74.9%. [Source]
• In the U.S., only 5% of employees said they were unhappy with their role. [Source]
• 9 out of 10 restaurant managers started at entry-level. [Source]
• The average age of U.S. restaurant employees is 28.8. [Source]
• 30% of all restaurant employees reported a 9 out of 10 to describe their own job happiness. [Source]
• 62% of employees say they would leave their company over lack of training. [Source]
• The average cost of onboarding new U.S. restaurant employees is $5,864. [Source]
• 9 in 10 restaurants employ fewer than 50 people. [Source]
• 70% of restaurants are single-unit operations. [Source]

Average Pay

• The average base salary for a restaurant employee in the U.S. is $11.54 per hour. [Source]
  • Chefs earn an average of $15.08 per hour in the U.S. [Source]
  • Restaurant management makes a median salary of $55,516 per year in the U.S. [Source]
• Restaurant workers in the UK earn an average of £25,161 annually. [Source]
  • UK chefs earn an average of £10.16 per hour. [Source]
  • In the UK, restaurant managers earn an average base pay of £32,517 per year. [Source]
• Canadian restaurant staff earns $20.46 on average per hour. [Source]
  • Chefs in Canada earn an average of $19.72 per hour. [Source]
  • Restaurant managers in Canada earn an average of $47,343 annually. [Source]

Customer Service Restaurant Statistics

• On average 90% of people surveyed said they read restaurant reviews prior to going out. [Source]
• 77% of guests search out their restaurant’s menu first. [Source]
• 95% of guests report that good customer service is key to their brand loyalty. [Source]
• Customers are 63% prefer to order through your website than through a third party vendor. [Source]
• 70% of guests have reported they became discouraged from visiting a restaurant’s website. [Source]
• 35% of customers say they are only looking for restaurants with high review ratings. [Source]
• Even a one-star increase on Yelp can increase your profits by 2%. [Source]
• The most common complaint is food quality, with 19% of guests disappointed with their meal. [Source]

Loyalty Programs Restaurant Statistics

• Over 90% of all companies have a customer loyalty program. [Source]
• In the U.S. there are 3.3 billion loyalty programs. [Source]
• Paytronix reports that loyalty programs increase guest visits by 20% and that those guests spend 20% more. [Source]
• A Paytronix survey showed that loyalty memberships along with geo-fencing increased restaurant sales by 50%. [Source]
• 72% of U.S. consumers say they are part of a loyalty program. [Source]
• 62% of Gen-Z are influenced by loyalty programs. [Source]

Restaurant Marketing Statistics

• 59.5% of the world’s population is online. [Source]
• 1.46 billion people around the world have smart devices. [Source]
• Google users perform 63,000 searches every second. [Source]
• Facebook and its sibling apps host 3.14 billion users. [Source]
• 20% of restaurants report that they still don’t have a website. [Source]
• 63% of guests prefer to order directly from the restaurant. [Source]
• 18% of guests would rather order through a third-party delivery service. [Source]

Restaurant Tech Statistics 

• 91% of restaurateurs said they want to invest in kitchen automation in 2021. [Source]
• 56% of consumers have expressed concern with how their data is used. [Source]
• 88% of restaurants are reported as switching exclusively to contactless digital menus. [Source]

Off-Premise Statistics

• The U.S. was forecasted to net $26.5 billion in off-premise revenue in 2020. [Source]
• Off-premise delivery revenue is projected at $28b by 2023. [Source]
• The UK was expected to earn £8.5 billion in off-premise revenue in 2019. [Source]
• Off-premise dining accounts for 70.74 billion around the world. [Source]
• Millennials order 59% of off-premise orders. [Source]
• Americans order delivery or takeout at least once per week. [Source]
• Off-premise dining channels are forecast to grow to $470b annually by 2025. [Source]
• Percentage of restaurant guests who believe off-premise dining is important to their lifestyle [Source]:
  • All adults: 53%
  • Gen Z: 54%
  • Gen X: 57%
  • Millennials: 64%
  • Baby Boomers: 43%

Pandemic Statistics

• In the U.S. 110,000 restaurants have closed temporarily or permanently due to the pandemic. [Source]
• Prior to the pandemic, the restaurant industry was projected to earn $889 in 2020. [Source]
• The U.S. restaurant industry netted $659 billion, $240 shy of their projected goal. [Source]
• The pandemic drove 163% of restaurant job losses in the UK. [Source]
• From 2019 to April 25, 2021, the UK industry saw a decline in seated restaurants of 36.14%. [Source]
• The UK restaurant industry lost £80.8bn or around £9m every hour due to pandemic lockdowns. [Source]
• Percentage of restaurant guests who say that off-premise dining is essential during the pandemic more than before. [Source]
  • All adults: 68%
  • Gen Z: 62%
  • Gen Z: 68%
  • Millennials: 73%
  • Baby Boomers: 67%

Dining Post-Covid

• 55% of U.S. restaurant guests are eating at home, rather than on-premise. [Source]
• 59% of Americans feel comfortable going out to eat. [Source]
• Consumers are 68% more likely now to order off-premise than prior to the pandemic. [Source]
• eMarketer reports that in 2021, smartphone restaurant delivery app users will fall to 44.1 million as people return to restaurants. [Source]
• 33% of guests report that they will continue ordering off-premise dining post-pandemic. [Source]
• 44% of customers are tipping more than before. [Source]

Alcohol Sales Statistics

• Alcohol sales were 252.82m in the U.S. in 2019 [Source]
• The age group with the highest occasions of wine drinking in the U.S. is 21-34. [Source]
• The UK sold 255 pints of beer per second in 2019. [Source]
• Vodka is the most sold spirit in the U.S. [Source]
• Total alcoholic sales in the U.S. were 252.82m in 2019. [Source]
• An average night out in the UK costs £68.68 in 2019. [Source]

Restaurant Statistics Conclusion

We hope you found something in here that can help you with your journey. Rest assured that if you didn’t, we’re here for you. This a living and breathing article that we plan on revisiting frequently because we know the importance of restaurant data. We want you to have the very best resources for your venture, whether it’s new or old. Have any restaurant statistics that we should add? Let us know in the comments below. 

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About the Author

Syd was a content marketing specialist, which are fancy words for writing pretty to tell a good story. He likes writing things about food, drinks, and music. He’s a musician himself, a father of two, and loves his wife a whole lot.