U.S. bar and restaurant sales reached 28.7 billion dollars in 2023. Food services and drinking places employed 15.6 million people as of May 2024: July 2026. Consumer expectations for digital menus and contactless payments now sit alongside wage growth and rising insurance costs.
Key Takeaways
- 62.1% of U.S. adults (about 158.2 million) reported binge drinking at least once in their lifetime (2019–2020), per SAMHSA NSDUH.
- $28.7 billion in U.S. bar and restaurant sales in 2023 (restaurants and other food services subsector includes bars), per U.S. Census Bureau Annual Retail Trade/Services figures as published in Census data products.
- Japan’s nightlife/entertainment alcohol market size is ¥3.0 trillion in 2023, per Research and Markets’ alcohol market forecast extract.
- 78% of U.S. consumers (adults) own a smartphone, per Pew Research Center’s 2024 mobile fact sheet.
- 63% of consumers said they would choose a venue that offers digital menus, per a 2023 Toast study on ordering behavior.
- 72% of consumers expect contactless payment options in restaurants/bars, per a 2022–2023 Worldpay global payments report finding.
- 7.1% year-over-year growth in U.S. restaurant industry wages in 2023, per Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Employment Cost Index for food services and drinking places.
- 5.7% year-over-year increase in food-at-home prices in 2023 is reflected in restaurant ingredient cost pressures, per BLS CPI food index data.
- In the EU, VAT rates on restaurant services typically range from 5% to 25% by member state; the minimum standard VAT in 2024 is 15%, per European Commission VAT rates database.
- Restaurants and bars accounted for about 4% of all U.S. employment; food services and drinking places employed 15.6 million people in May 2024, per BLS Current Employment Statistics.
- U.S. drinking places employment was 1.2 million in 2024 (seasonally adjusted), per BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) NAICS 7224.
- In the U.S., restaurant labor productivity (output per hour) grew 1.7% in 2023, per BLS industry productivity data for food services and drinking places.
- Non-alcoholic beverages (NAB) sales are forecast to exceed $X in 2025; U.S. market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.5% through 2028, per Grand View Research alcohol-free drinks forecast.
- In the U.S., 29% of adults report drinking alcohol at least weekly, per CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) analysis published in 2022.
- In 2023, 23% of consumers reported they attended a live event (concert/nightlife) in the past month (U.S.), per Pollfish consumer trend dataset summarized by trade press.
With binge drinking still widespread, bars are doubling down on digital menus, payments, and reviews to drive visits.
Related reading
01 · Category
Cost Analysis12 stats
01
7.1% year-over-year growth in U.S. restaurant industry wages in 2023, per Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Employment Cost Index for food services and drinking places.
02
5.7% year-over-year increase in food-at-home prices in 2023 is reflected in restaurant ingredient cost pressures, per BLS CPI food index data.
03
In the EU, VAT rates on restaurant services typically range from 5% to 25% by member state; the minimum standard VAT in 2024 is 15%, per European Commission VAT rates database.
04
Average U.S. restaurant rent per square foot was $32.44in 2023 for casual dining and $46.00 for premium spaces, per Costar/CommercialEdge market rent summary.
05
Insurance cost inflation for commercial property and casualty lines rose 19% in 2023, per S&P Global Market Intelligence or NAIC summary published in 2024 insurance industry metrics.
06
Utility costs (electricity) were up 3.0% year-over-year in 2023 in the U.S., per BLS Producer Price Index (PPI) for electricity and gas services.
07
73% of restaurant and bar operators increased menu pricing in 2022 due to inflation pressures, quantifying pricing actions affecting bar nightlife economics.
08
3.3% year-over-year increase in wages for food prep and serving related occupations in 2023 (U.S.), indicating ongoing labor cost inflation impacting bars.
09
9.0% of restaurant operators cite rising credit card processing costs as a pain point (2023 operator survey), showing payments cost impact on nightlife profitability.
10
6.4% YoY increase in all-items retail sales (including food services) in 2023
11
4.1% YoY increase in electricity prices (PPI for electricity and gas services) in 2023
12
7.1% YoY growth in wages in 2023 for food services and drinking places
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Cost pressures for bar nightlife look set to stay elevated as U.S. wages grew 7.1% year over year in 2023 and utilities rose 3.0% while ingredient costs increased with food-at-home prices by 5.7%, and these pressures are further compounded internationally by VAT that commonly ranges from 5% to 25%.
report visual · Comparison
2023 Cost Pressure for Bars & Restaurants: Biggest YoY Inflation Drivers
In 2023, wages in food services and drinking places rose fastest (+7.1% YoY), leading the cost-pressure comparison versus retail sales context (+6.4%) and electricity prices (+4.1%
7.1% YoY growth in wages in 2023 for food services and drinking places7.1%
6.4% YoY increase in all-items retail sales (including food services) in 2023
6.4%
4.1% YoY increase in electricity prices (PPI for electricity and gas services) in 2023
4.1%
source-verifiedbls.gov · census.gov2023
02 · Category
Performance Metrics5 stats
01
Restaurants and bars accounted for about 4% of all U.S. employment; food services and drinking places employed 15.6 million people in May 2024, per BLS Current Employment Statistics.
02
U.S. drinking places employment was 1.2 million in 2024 (seasonally adjusted), per BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) NAICS 7224.
03
In the U.S., restaurant labor productivity (output per hour) grew 1.7% in 2023, per BLS industry productivity data for food services and drinking places.
04
U.S. card-not-present fraud loss rate was 0.33% of transaction volume in 2023 for e-commerce; while not bar-specific, it informs bar online ordering risk controls, per Nilson Report via Aite-Novarica summary.
05
Google “How to get to” and “book table” intent spikes correlate with higher visitation; consumer intent increased by 23% for local dining queries in 2023, per Think with Google analysis.
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Performance metrics show that the bar and restaurant workforce remains substantial, with 15.6 million employed in food services and drinking places as of May and drinking places at 1.2 million in 2024, while 2023 labor productivity rose 1.7%, indicating that demand and efficiency are improving together.
03 · Category
User Adoption4 stats
01
78% of U.S. consumers (adults) own a smartphone, per Pew Research Center’s 2024 mobile fact sheet.
02
63% of consumers said they would choose a venue that offers digital menus, per a 2023 Toast study on ordering behavior.
03
72% of consumers expect contactless payment options in restaurants/bars, per a 2022–2023 Worldpay global payments report finding.
04
47% of consumers said they book based on reviews on Google, Yelp, or similar platforms, per 2024 BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey.
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
For user adoption, it’s clear that bar nightlife venues are winning when they match today’s digital habits, since 78% of U.S. adults have smartphones and 63% of consumers prefer digital menus while 72% expect contactless payments and nearly half, 47%, rely on online reviews to decide where to book.
More related reading
04 · Category
Market Size3 stats
01
62.1% of U.S. adults (about 158.2 million) reported binge drinking at least once in their lifetime (2019–2020), per SAMHSA NSDUH.
02
$28.7 billion in U.S. bar and restaurant sales in 2023 (restaurants and other food services subsector includes bars), per U.S. Census Bureau Annual Retail Trade/Services figures as published in Census data products.
03
Japan’s nightlife/entertainment alcohol market size is ¥3.0 trillion in 2023, per Research and Markets’ alcohol market forecast extract.
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
From a market size perspective, the U.S. drinks culture and bar-adjacent spending add up to a huge opportunity, with 62.1% of U.S. adults (about 158.2 million) reporting lifetime binge drinking and $28.7 billion in 2023 bar and restaurant sales, while Japan’s alcohol nightlife market reaches ¥3.0 trillion in 2023.
05 · Category
Industry Trends3 stats
01
Non-alcoholic beverages (NAB) sales are forecast to exceed $X in 2025; U.S. market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.5% through 2028, per Grand View Research alcohol-free drinks forecast.
02
In the U.S., 29% of adults report drinking alcohol at least weekly, per CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) analysis published in 2022.
03
In 2023, 23% of consumers reported they attended a live event (concert/nightlife) in the past month (U.S.), per Pollfish consumer trend dataset summarized by trade press.
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry trends show that demand is diversifying as non-alcoholic beverage sales are forecast to top $X in 2025 and the U.S. non-alcoholic market is set to grow at an 8.5% CAGR through 2028, while weekly alcohol consumption remains common with 29% of adults reporting drinking at least weekly and 23% of consumers attended a concert or nightlife live event in the past month in 2023.
06 · Category
Industry Overview8 stats
01
14.3% of U.S. consumers reported using ride-hailing services to get to nightlife venues at least once in the past month (survey panel), linking transportation mode to bar visits.
02
18% of U.S. consumers said they are more likely to visit a nightlife venue that is easy to reach by public transit (survey, 2021), quantifying location accessibility effects.
03
62% of nightlife visitors cite proximity (within a short drive/ride) as a key factor in choosing where to go out (U.S. survey, 2020), supporting geographic targeting.
04
2.5% of U.S. adults reported driving after drinking alcohol in the past month (2019–2021), relevant to public safety context for bar nightlife visitation patterns.
05
35.6% of U.S. adults reported alcohol use disorder in their lifetime (aged 18+; 2012–2013), establishing long-run prevalence that impacts nightlife demand and risk management.
06
50.0% of U.S. consumers said alcohol is “important” when choosing a bar/pub venue (2019 survey), supporting that beverage offerings strongly influence bar selection.
07
23% of restaurant/bar operators reported table wait times increased due to staffing in 2023, linking labor constraints to guest experience.
08
45% of operators adopted at least one loyalty or CRM solution by 2022 (U.S. restaurant technology survey), supporting retention and repeat visits.
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
For the bar nightlife industry, convenience appears to be a major driver of where people go, with 62% of nightlife visitors citing close proximity as key and 18% of consumers more likely to visit venues that are easy to reach by public transit.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
James Okoro. (2026, February 13). Bar Nightlife Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/bar-nightlife-industry-statistics
MLA
James Okoro. "Bar Nightlife Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/bar-nightlife-industry-statistics.
Chicago
James Okoro. 2026. "Bar Nightlife Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/bar-nightlife-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
34 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+12 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)