Gitnux/Report 2026

Beverage Service Industry Statistics

The global cafes-and-bars market reached $502 billion in 2025, explore the figures behind its growth, leading brands, and delivery-linked trends.
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Beverage Service Industry Statistics
Samuel NorbergWritten by Samuel Norberg·Fact-checked by Maya Johansson
Published
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Gitnux editors write the brief first: the topic, the inclusion rules, and the frame for what belongs.

02Source Research

Agents search the published record and log every extracted figure back to the passage it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 31 days

01 Industry overview

The beverage service industry at a glance

The global cafes-and-bars market reached $502 billion in 2025 and is forecast to grow at a 5.2% CAGR through 2030, while U.S. beverage operators face rising demand for customized, nonalcoholic and ready-to-drink options.

$502B[56]
Global cafes and bars, 2025
5.2%[56]
Global CAGR, 2025–2030
$73.4B[57]
U.S. nonalcoholic-bar revenue, 2024
439,600[58]
U.S. drinking-place jobs, 2025
Market size
The global cafes-and-bars market was valued at $502 billion in 2025. In the United States, snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars recorded $73.4 billion in revenue in 2024, the latest annual Census-derived figure available in the cited series.[56][57]
Forecast & CAGR
The global cafes-and-bars market is projected to reach $647 billion by 2030 from $502 billion in 2025, implying a 5.2% CAGR. A separate global foodservice estimate places the broader market at $3.31 trillion in 2024 and forecasts $4.32 trillion in 2028, a 6.87% CAGR.[56][59]
Market share & regions
Cafes and bars represented 14.14% of the estimated global foodservice and catering market in 2024. In the global cafes-and-bars segment, independent outlets accounted for 70.20% of market size in 2024, indicating a fragmented competitive structure rather than dominance by chains.[59][60]
Segmentation
U.S. Census classifies beverage service into drinking places serving alcoholic beverages, and snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars serving products such as coffee, juices and sodas. The global cafes-and-bars market similarly includes bars, pubs, lounges, cafes and coffee shops.[61][56]
Key players & concentration
The market remains fragmented: independent operators held 70.20% of the global cafes-and-bars market in 2024. In U.S. coffee shops, Starbucks held 48% of consumer spending in 2025, down from 52% in 2023, while Dunkin' gained share.[60][19]
Pricing
A 2024 report on France's emerging neo-cafe format cited prices of around €6 for coffee- and matcha-based drinks. The figure illustrates premium pricing in experience-led cafe concepts, but it is not a global industry average.[20]
Trends, drivers & challenges
The National Restaurant Association's 2026 beverage research identifies younger consumers, beverage-only occasions and flavor-led nonalcoholic drinks as key demand drivers; 83% of delivery customers said they would order beverages more often if packaging improved. Operators also face affordability pressure, labor costs and weaker alcohol demand.[7][62]
Consumer behavior & competition
In 2026, 71% of both Gen Z and millennial consumers said their favorite restaurant beverages offer flavor experiences that are difficult to replicate at home, and roughly seven in ten younger adults wanted more beverage choices. Limited-service operators are expanding coffee, tea, smoothies, lemonades, energy drinks and wellness beverages, intensifying competition across dayparts.[7]
Latest news
The National Restaurant Association released its 2026 Beverage Trends report in August 2026, highlighting nonalcoholic variety, younger consumers and improved off-premises packaging. Its findings indicate that beverage menus are increasingly treated as traffic, sales and loyalty drivers rather than simple add-ons.[7]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Beverage Service Industry

The leading companies in the beverage service industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 11, 2026 · Next review December 11, 2026

Verdict

McDonald's stands out for beverage service through franchised and company-operated scale because it generated $26.9 billion in 2025 revenue, while Yum! Brands leads in beverage service since it posted 9% revenue growth and a 31.3% operating margin.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in quick-service beverage service

    McDonald's

    US

    Ranked #1 · 8.9 · Quick-service beverage service

    Why we picked it: In franchised and company-operated restaurants, it generated $26.9 billion in 2025 revenue with a 46.1% operating margin.

    See in ranking ↓Visit mcdonalds.com ↗

  2. #2 overall

    Yum! Brands

    US

    Ranked #2 · 8.9 · Quick-service beverage service

    Why we picked it: Its quick-service and beverage operations showed 9% revenue growth and a 31.3% operating margin.

    See in ranking ↓Visit yum.com ↗

  3. #3 overall

    The Coca-Cola Company

    US

    Ranked #3 · 8.9 · Quick-service beverage service

    Why we picked it: Its non-alcoholic beverage brands and foodservice reported $47.9 billion in 2025 net operating revenues and a 28.7% operating margin.

    See in ranking ↓Visit coca-colacompany.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. No other segment places in the top 5, so picks 2 and 3 follow rank.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the beverage service industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

McDonald's

Quick-service beverage service · US

8.9
2

Yum! Brands

Quick-service beverage service · US

8.9
3

The Coca-Cola Company

Quick-service beverage service · US

8.9
4

Inspire Brands

Quick-service beverage service · US

8.5
5

Restaurant Brands International

Quick-service beverage service · CA

8.5
6

Nestlé

Coffee, water and beverage brands worldwide · CH

8.4
7

Starbucks

Global coffeehouse operation and beverage retail · US

8.4
8

Darden Restaurants

Full-service restaurants and beverage service · US

8.2
9

Aramark

Foodservice and beverage operations for institutions and venues · US

8.1
10

Sodexo

Contract foodservice and beverage operations · FR

8.0

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 11, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 11). Top 10 companies in the beverage service industry. In Beverage Service Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/beverage-service-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Comparison

Annual change in turnover index for serving of food and beverages (Europe)

Latvia leads with 83.9%.

Latvia83.9%
Slovakia83.9%
Lithuania60.8%
Hungary54.8%
Germany49.4%
Estonia49.2%
source-verifiedec.europa.eu

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

Operators report broad AI experimentation, with 29% using AI-incorporating tools in 2026 and 38.6% reporting AI tool use in 2026. Adoption also targets sales forecasting at 53% and automated scheduling at 31% among those using AI or automation.

AI in the beverage service industry

  • 70% of U.S. restaurant operators reported using AI in some way in 2024.[1]
  • 82% of global restaurant executives planned to increase AI investment in the next fiscal year in 2024.[2]
  • 57% of restaurant executives surveyed globally said their organizations were experimenting with AI in late 2024.[2]
  • 26% of U.S. restaurant operators used tools or technologies incorporating AI in 2026.[3]
  • 95% of surveyed U.S. independent restaurant operators reported using some form of AI in 2024.[4]

Automation in the beverage service industry

  • 29% of restaurant operators reported active use of AI or automation for operations in 2026.[5]
  • 53% of restaurant operators using AI or automation applied it to sales forecasting in 2026.[5]
  • 31% of restaurant operators using AI or automation applied it to automated scheduling in 2026.[5]
  • 94% of U.S. restaurant operators said technology investments over the previous two to three years had not permanently eliminated jobs in 2025.[6]

Digital Transformation in the restaurants and food service sector (sector benchmark)

  • 77.9% of U.S. restaurant operators expected technology, automation, data and AI to be at least moderately critical to their business over the next five years in 2026.[7]
  • 69% of U.S. restaurant operators that had added technology said it made their restaurant more efficient and productive in 2025.[6]
  • 28% of U.S. restaurant operators that had invested in technology said it improved restaurant profitability in 2025.[6]
  • 82% of U.S. restaurant operators said technology had benefited their business in 2026.[7]
  • 67% of U.S. restaurant operators said they had incorporated more technology into their operations during the previous two to three years in 2025.[6]

Technology Adoption in the restaurants and food service sector (sector benchmark)

  • 65% of U.S. restaurant operators planned to invest in digital or location-based marketing in 2025.[6]
  • 28% of U.S. restaurant operators planned to invest in artificial-intelligence integration in 2025.[6]
  • 49% of U.S. restaurant operators planned to invest in contactless ordering or payment in 2025.[6]
  • 76% of food-and-beverage respondents reported using point-of-sale technology in 2025, compared with 75% in 2024.[8]
  • 52% of U.S. restaurant operators planned to invest in point-of-sale systems in 2025.[6]
  • 83% of U.S. restaurant operators said technology provides a competitive advantage in 2025.[6]

Cloud Computing in the restaurants and food service sector (sector benchmark)

  • 62% of restaurant operators in New York City reported using cloud POS systems in 2024, compared with 38% using legacy systems.[4]
  • 55% of Texas restaurant operators reported using a cloud-based POS system in 2024, while 47% reported using a legacy POS system.[9]
  • 68% of quick-service restaurants expected cloud-application use to increase by 2025, compared with 54% of full-service restaurants in the United States.[10]
  • 77% of Las Vegas restaurant operators reported using cloud POS systems in 2024, the highest rate among the major U.S. cities surveyed.[4]
  • 63% of full-service restaurant operators in the United States reported using a cloud POS system in 2024.[11]
  • 76% of U.S. restaurant operators reported using a cloud-based point-of-sale system in 2023, compared with 23% using a legacy POS system.[4]

Big Data in the restaurants and food service sector (sector benchmark)

  • 20% of major restaurant brands used predictive-analytics algorithms to drive business decisions automatically in BCG’s 2018 survey.[12]
  • 69% of restaurant operators surveyed in the United States were actively using or piloting AI for back-office reporting and analytics in 2026.[13]
  • 20% of major restaurant brands had an integrated customer master-data set accessible across the organization in BCG’s 2018 survey.[12]
  • 38.6% of U.S. restaurant operators reported using AI tools in 2026, indicating current use of data-driven technology across the sector.[7]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Connected technology adoption faces barriers: 48.8% cite technology cost and 33.1% cite data privacy or security risks in 2026. Even so, 63.9% link technology to increased sales and 82.2% say technology benefited their business in 2026.

Business intelligence in the beverage service industry

  • 48.8% of U.S. restaurant operators identified technology cost as a barrier to connected systems and data use in 2026.[7]
  • 38.6% of U.S. restaurant operators reported using artificial intelligence in 2026, most often for personalized marketing and customer-feedback analysis.[7]
  • 82.2% of U.S. restaurant operators said technology had benefited their business in 2026.[7]
  • 63.9% of U.S. restaurant operators cited increased sales as a reason to invest in technology in 2026.[7]

Data analytics in the beverage service industry

  • 43.8% of U.S. restaurant operators cited business fit as a barrier to adopting connected technology and analytics in 2026.[7]
  • 77.9% of U.S. restaurant survey respondents expected technology, data and artificial intelligence to be at least moderately critical to their businesses within five years in 2026.[7]
  • 33.1% of U.S. restaurant operators cited data privacy or security risks as a barrier to connected technology in 2026.[7]
  • 64.4% of U.S. restaurant operators said technology improves the customer experience in 2026.[7]

Data Quality in the restaurants and food service sector (sector benchmark)

  • 25% of QSR and fast-casual brands rated their ability to extract and use holistic data as poor or below average in 2023.[14]
  • 21% of U.S. restaurant operators rated their data quality as good in the December 2023 survey.[15]
  • 14% of U.S. restaurant operators identified ensuring data quality as their biggest challenge when incorporating new data in 2025.[16]
  • 7% of QSR and fast-casual brands said they could easily extract and use holistic data to drive decisions in 2023.[14]

Data Governance in the restaurants and food service sector (sector benchmark)

  • 38% of restaurant and retail organizations said they embraced improved data-governance practices as part of day-to-day business in the United States in 2019.[17]
  • 28% of restaurant and retail organizations said improved data governance was an interest but other needs were more pressing in the United States in 2019.[17]
  • 10% of restaurant and retail organizations said improved data governance was not a high priority in the United States in 2019.[17]
  • 13% of restaurant and retail organizations said they needed to implement improved data governance but lacked the necessary skill set in the United States in 2019.[17]

KPIs in the beverage service industry

  • 30% of U.S. restaurant operators that added technology during the prior two to three years said it produced cost savings in 2025.[6]
  • 28% of U.S. restaurant operators that added technology during the prior two to three years said it improved profitability in 2025.[6]
  • 39% of U.S. restaurant operators that added technology during the prior two to three years said it improved overall customer satisfaction in 2025.[6]
  • 69% of U.S. restaurant operators that added technology during the prior two to three years said it improved efficiency and productivity in 2025.[6]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Beverage service chains expand via new unit openings and product differentiation. The cited operator example shows 141 new company-operated shops opened across 19 states in 2025 and a 2029 growth target of 2,029 shops.

Growth in the beverage service industry

  • 27.9% was Dutch Bros’ year-over-year revenue growth in 2025, reaching $1.64 billion.[18]
  • 141 new company-operated Dutch Bros shops opened across 19 states during 2025.[18]
  • 2,029 shops is Dutch Bros’ stated 2029 growth target, following 154 openings during 2025.[18]
  • 5.6% was Dutch Bros’ system same-shop sales growth in 2025, while systemwide transactions increased 3.2%.[18]

Differentiation in the beverage service industry

  • 48% was Starbucks’ share of U.S. coffee-shop spending in 2025, down from 52% in 2023 amid increased competition from differentiated beverage chains.[19]
  • 44% of gourmet coffee drinks were consumed outside the home by French consumers aged 16–24, according to a 2024 France foodservice report.[20]
  • 22% of Dutch Bros’ 2025 systemwide net sales came from Rebel energy drinks, differentiating the chain beyond coffee beverages.[18]
  • $2.1 million was Dutch Bros’ record average unit volume in 2025, supported by its drive-thru beverage format and product proposition.[18]

Mergers and acquisitions in the beverage service industry

  • €15.7 billion was the equity consideration in Keurig Dr Pepper’s announced 2025 acquisition of JDE Peet’s.[21]
  • 113 licensed Starbucks stores were converted to company-operated stores in fiscal 2025 following the acquisition of 23.5 Degrees Topco Limited.[22]
  • 33% was the premium to JDE Peet’s 90-day volume-weighted average share price in Keurig Dr Pepper’s 2025 acquisition agreement.[23]
  • $5.1 billion was the value of Coca-Cola’s acquisition of Costa, announced in 2018, covering a coffee platform with nearly 4,000 retail outlets.[24]

Strategic partnerships in the beverage service industry

  • More than 100 countries is the planned geographic reach of the global coffee company created through Keurig Dr Pepper’s 2025 combination with JDE Peet’s.[23]
  • $99 million was the 2025 increase in Starbucks revenue from the Global Coffee Alliance, contributing to higher other revenue.[22]
  • January 2027 is when KFC’s U.S. beverage offering is scheduled to transition to Coca-Cola products under the announced strategic partnership.[25]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Labor retention remains difficult, with 77% of U.S. restaurant operators citing retaining employees as a significant challenge in 2025. Training depth varies, with 12% of teams receiving no formal training in 2025.

Hiring in the beverage service industry

  • 755,586 bartender jobs were present in the U.S. restaurant and foodservice sector in 2025.[6]
  • 428,697 host and hostess jobs were present in U.S. restaurants, lounges and coffee shops in 2025.[6]
  • 3,837,207 fast-food and counter-worker jobs were present in the U.S. restaurant and foodservice sector in 2025.[6]
  • 2,318,490 waiter and waitress jobs were present in the U.S. restaurant and foodservice sector in 2025.[6]

Employee retention in the beverage service industry

  • 77% of U.S. restaurant operators said retaining employees was a significant challenge in 2025.[7]
  • 122.19% was the average turnover rate for the U.S. restaurant and foodservice industry in 2025.[6]
  • 6,646,043 separations occurred among U.S. fast-food and counter workers in 2025.[6]
  • 3,026,933 separations occurred among U.S. waiters and waitresses in 2025.[6]

Remote Work in the restaurants and food service sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. food and beverage businesses, 73% required employees to work in person in 2025, while 26% offered an in-person or remote option.[10]
  • 11.11% of paid workdays were performed from home in U.S. hospitality and food services in 2025, according to the Work from Home Research dataset.[26]
  • Across U.S. hospitality and accommodation businesses, 76% required employees to work in person in 2025, while 21% offered an in-person or remote option.[10]
  • Across U.S. restaurant and bar businesses, 88% required employees to work in person in 2025, while 12% offered an in-person or remote option.[10]

Hybrid Work in the restaurants and food service sector (sector benchmark)

  • 84% of hospitality and food-service respondents globally agreed in 2025 that the ability to work remotely was important for employee retention.[27]
  • Among U.S. small businesses allowing remote work, 52% planned in 2025 to encourage hybrid and remote employees to spend more time in person, without requiring it.[10]
  • 80% of hospitality and food-service employers globally said in 2025 that their organizations were still struggling to balance hybrid work effectively.[27]
  • 38% of hospitality and food-service employees worked in hybrid arrangements—one to four days weekly in the office—in Cisco’s global 2025 study.[27]

Upskilling in the beverage service industry

  • 61% of restaurant operators prioritized basic job-skills training in 2025.[28]
  • 15% of restaurant operators provided five or more hours of employee training per week in 2025.[29]
  • 57% of restaurant operators provided one to two hours of employee training per week in 2025.[29]
  • 16% of restaurant operators provided three to four hours of employee training per week in 2025.[29]
  • 12% of restaurant teams received no formal training in 2025.[29]

Employee Engagement in the restaurants and food service sector (sector benchmark)

  • 62% of 702 U.S. restaurant employees surveyed in 2026 were satisfied or extremely satisfied with their benefits.[30]
  • 32% of U.S. restaurant employees surveyed in 2026 ranked good hourly pay among their top-three favorite job aspects, tied with flexible scheduling.[30]
  • 67% of 702 U.S. restaurant employees surveyed in 2026 were satisfied or extremely satisfied with their pay.[30]
  • More than half of restaurant employees surveyed in 2024 said greater management recognition would increase their engagement, while one-quarter rarely received feedback.[31]
  • 25% of U.S. restaurant workers surveyed in 2025 said they felt unrecognized for their hard work.[30]

DEI in the beverage service industry

  • 52% of U.S. restaurant and foodservice employees were minorities in 2024.[7]
  • 63% of chefs in the U.S. restaurant and foodservice workforce were minorities in 2024.[7]
  • 28% of U.S. restaurant and foodservice employees were Hispanic in 2024.[7]
  • 62% of cooks in the U.S. restaurant and foodservice workforce were minorities in 2024.[7]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Self-service technology use is widespread but problem exposure remains high: 60% of customers used self-service tech at least occasionally in 2025 and 80% of users encountered problems in 2025. Speed stays critical, with 94% of consumers saying speed is critical for off-premises dining in 2025.

Customer experience in the beverage service industry

  • 80% of U.S. quick-service restaurant customers who used self-service technology had encountered problems in 2025.[32]
  • 79 was the 2025 customer-satisfaction score for U.S. quick-service restaurants on the American Customer Satisfaction Index’s 100-point scale.[33]
  • 82 was the 2025 customer-satisfaction score for U.S. full-service restaurants on the American Customer Satisfaction Index’s 100-point scale.[33]
  • 94% of U.S. restaurant consumers said speed was critical for off-premises dining in 2025.[7]

Customer retention in the beverage service industry

  • The average U.S. restaurant customer visited four different restaurants per month in 2025.[34]
  • 60% of U.S. quick-service restaurant customers used self-service technology at least occasionally in 2025.[32]
  • 77% of restaurant consumers were more likely to start spending with a brand after enrolling in its loyalty program in 2024.[2]
  • 74% of U.S. consumers said they had returned or planned to return to a restaurant after a unique experience in 2025.[35]

Customer acquisition in the beverage service industry

  • 64% of U.S. diners tried a new restaurant during the month measured in 2025, compared with 39% in 2024.[30]
  • 33% of U.S. restaurant diners discovered promotions through email or newsletters in September 2025.[36]
  • 32% of U.S. restaurant diners discovered promotions through social media in September 2025.[36]
  • 94% of U.S. diners used online resources such as Google, social media or media sites to discover new restaurants in 2025.[35]
  • 38% of U.S. Gen Z diners used TikTok as their top restaurant-discovery channel in 2025.[30]

Customer loyalty in the beverage service industry

  • 52% of U.S. restaurant, coffee-shop, snack-place and deli customers participated in loyalty programs in 2024.[7]
  • 56% of U.S. restaurant customers said loyalty-program membership was important when choosing a full-service restaurant in 2026.[3]
  • 63% of U.S. restaurant customers said loyalty-program membership was important when choosing a limited-service restaurant in 2026.[3]
  • 96% of U.S. restaurant loyalty-program customers said rewards programs were a good way to get more value in 2024.[7]
  • 70% of U.S. restaurant customers said loyalty-program membership was important when choosing delivery in 2026.[3]

Lead generation in the beverage service industry

  • 94% of U.S. diners used online resources to discover new restaurants in 2025.[35]
  • 38% of U.S. Gen Z diners used TikTok to discover restaurants in 2025.[30]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Delivery-linked packaging affects beverage ordering, with 83% of delivery customers saying they would order beverages more often if restaurants packaged them better in 2026. Digital marketing planning is common, with 65% of U.S. operators planning to devote resources to digital or location-based marketing in 2025.

Marketing in the beverage service industry

  • 65% of U.S. restaurant operators planned to devote resources to digital or location-based marketing in 2025.[6]
  • 62% of limited-service restaurant operators planned to invest in digital or location-based marketing in 2024 in the United States.[6]
  • 76% of U.S. restaurant operators said technology provided a competitive edge in 2024.[7]
  • 64% of full-service restaurant operators planned to invest in digital or location-based marketing in 2024 in the United States.[6]

Digital marketing in the beverage service industry

  • 63% of U.S. restaurant operators planned to invest in digital or location-based marketing in 2024.[6]
  • 84% of U.S. off-premises restaurant customers said they would place orders through a restaurant website in 2024.[7]
  • 48% of limited-service U.S. restaurant operators planned to invest in smartphone-app development in 2025.[6]
  • 40% of U.S. restaurant operators planned to invest in smartphone-app development in 2025.[6]

Branding in the beverage service industry

  • 83% of U.S. delivery customers said they would order beverages more often if restaurants packaged them better in 2026.[7]
  • 7 in 10 U.S. consumers who drink beer, wine or cocktails said alcohol availability would make them more likely to choose one restaurant over another in 2024.[7]
  • 84% of U.S. adults who drink wine, beer or cocktails said restaurants are a good place to learn about alcohol beverages they have not tried before in 2023.[7]
  • 39% of U.S. adult consumers said they would order non-alcohol versions of alcoholic beverages if restaurants offered them in 2024.[7]

Social media in the beverage service industry

  • 9.9% was the average increase in business-to-consumer revenue that restaurants reported from social-media strategies in 2024.[37]
  • 46% of U.S. consumers used Google reviews to check restaurant ratings online in 2024.[38]
  • 15% of U.S. consumers cited social media as the way they found out about new restaurants in 2024.[38]
  • 24% of U.S. consumers cited word of mouth as a way they found out about new restaurants in 2024.[38]

Influencer Marketing in the restaurants and food service sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among surveyed restaurants, 46% ranked working with creators as their second-highest-return social strategy in 2025 research.[37]
  • Across hospitality brands, 49% include paid influencer work within their brand strategy in 2026.[39]
  • Across hospitality brands, 91% include some form of influencer marketing within their brand strategy in 2026.[39]
  • Across food and drink influencer content globally, TikTok posts achieved a 3% average engagement rate in 2023, compared with 2% on Instagram.[40]
  • Across surveyed restaurants and venues, 42% said influencers or user-generated content drove the most bookings in the United Kingdom in 2024.[1]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Operators plan investment in inventory and service systems, including 52% planning inventory-control or management systems in 2024 and 50% planning inventory-management software in 2025. On operations outcomes, 57% of guests reported service-recovery resolution to satisfaction in 2024.

Process optimization in the beverage service industry

  • 25% of U.S. restaurant operators planned to invest in self-ordering or self-payment tablets or kiosks in 2024.[6]
  • 48% of U.S. restaurant operators planned to invest in point-of-sale systems in 2024.[6]
  • 30% of U.S. restaurant operators planned to invest in flexible or dynamic menu pricing in 2025.[6]
  • 52% of U.S. restaurant operators planned to invest in inventory-control or management systems in 2024.[6]

Operational efficiency in the beverage service industry

  • 47% of U.S. restaurant operators expected technology and automation to become more common for addressing labor shortages in 2024.[6]
  • 55% of U.S. restaurant operators planned technology investments to improve service-area productivity or efficiency in 2024.[7]
  • 37% of U.S. restaurant operators planned to invest in automated labor-management, recruitment or scheduling systems in 2024.[6]
  • 52% of U.S. restaurant operators planned technology investments to improve kitchen productivity or efficiency in 2024.[7]

Quality management in the beverage service industry

  • 34.31% of U.S. bar and restaurant operators identified food or drink quality as a top focus for delivering a great guest experience in 2024.[41]
  • 52% of U.S. restaurant operators planned to invest in back-office systems covering payroll, finance, tax and food-safety compliance in 2024.[6]
  • 65% of U.S. restaurant operators said technology had a positive impact on the hospitality their restaurants provided in 2026.[7]
  • 31.75% of U.S. bar and restaurant operators identified service as a top focus for delivering a great guest experience in 2024.[41]

Supply chain in the beverage service industry

  • 50% of limited-service U.S. restaurant operators planned to invest in inventory-management software in 2025.[6]
  • 47% of U.S. restaurant operators planned to invest in inventory-management software in 2025.[6]
  • 53% of full-service U.S. restaurant operators planned to invest in inventory-control or management systems in 2024.[6]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the restaurants and food service sector (sector benchmark)

  • 25.3% of 669 surveyed food and beverage companies said meeting fluctuating demand in a timely manner was their top reason for outsourcing in 2022.[42]
  • 74.1% of surveyed food and beverage companies in the United States used outsourcing for production in 2022.[42]
  • 47% of food services and facility management activities were outsourced in the United States in 2023, according to Oliver Wyman’s sector estimates.[43]
  • 23.7% was the average share of production outsourced by surveyed United States food and beverage companies in 2022.[42]
  • 91% of 200 food services and facility management buyers in the United States and Europe expected their outsourcing budgets to increase over the five years following 2024.[43]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Price-setting remains frequent, with 91% of independent U.S. restaurants changing prices in 2024. Profitability pressure is clear, as 42% of operators said their restaurant was not profitable in 2025.

Pricing strategy in the beverage service industry

  • 91% of independent U.S. restaurants changed prices in 2024, according to the James Beard Foundation survey.[23]
  • 16% of U.S. restaurant operators reported adding fees or surcharges to customer checks in 2024.[44]
  • 28% of U.S. restaurant operators planned to invest in flexible or dynamic menu pricing in 2025.[6]
  • 30% of U.S. restaurant operators planned to invest in flexible or dynamic menu pricing in 2024.[6]

Cost reduction in the beverage service industry

  • 36% was the increase in total expenses for an average U.S. restaurant between 2019 and 2026.[7]
  • 41% was the increase in average hourly earnings for U.S. restaurant employees between 2019 and 2026.[7]
  • 42% of U.S. restaurant operators said their restaurant was not profitable in 2025, highlighting the pressure to reduce operating costs.[7]
  • 35% was the increase in average wholesale food prices for U.S. restaurants between 2019 and 2026.[7]

Profitability in the beverage service industry

  • 5% was the approximate pre-tax profit margin for a typical U.S. restaurant before the pandemic.[7]
  • 42% of U.S. restaurant operators said their restaurant was not profitable in 2025.[7]
  • 28% of independent U.S. restaurants reported maintaining the same profit level in 2024 as in 2023.[23]
  • 50% of independent U.S. restaurants reported lower profits in 2024 than in 2023.[23]

Financial planning in the beverage service industry

  • 36.5% was the median share of sales represented by salaries and wages, including benefits, at full-service U.S. restaurants in 2022.[7]
  • 32.4% was the median share of sales represented by food and non-alcohol beverage costs at larger limited-service U.S. restaurants in 2024.[7]
  • 34.0% was the median share of sales represented by salaries and wages, including benefits, at limited-service U.S. restaurants in 2022.[7]
  • 31.0% was the median share of sales represented by food and non-alcohol beverage costs at larger full-service U.S. restaurants in 2024.[7]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Beverage and packaging drive product strategy, with 61% of Starbucks company-operated-store revenue coming from beverages in fiscal 2025. Cold drinks also account for 75% of Starbucks U.S. beverage sales in 2024.

Product development in the beverage service industry

  • 16% of U.S. restaurant operators planned to invest in artificial-intelligence integration, including voice recognition, in 2024.[6]
  • 61% of Starbucks company-operated-store revenue came from beverages in fiscal 2025, equal to $22.54 billion in sales worldwide.[22]
  • 75% of Starbucks U.S. beverage sales came from cold drinks in 2024, up from 37% in 2013, increasing pressure for cold-beverage product and packaging development.[19]

Product lifecycle in the beverage service industry

  • Beverage packaging was one of the four main investment priorities identified by beverage manufacturers for the next two to three years in a 2025 industry survey.[45]
  • Beverage cups averaged 30 reuse cycles in 2025 among consumer-facing reusable-packaging companies surveyed in Europe.[46]
  • Reusable beverage bottles averaged about 19 rotations in 2025 among surveyed European companies.[46]
  • Capital and equipment lifecycle, including replacement versus new capacity, was identified as a major beverage-industry packaging priority in 2025.[45]

After-sales in the beverage service industry

  • 57% of U.S. restaurant guests said a service-recovery issue was resolved to their satisfaction in 2024.[2]
  • 33% of U.S. restaurant guests reported experiencing a service-recovery failure during the prior three months in Deloitte’s 2024 study.[2]
  • 79% of U.S. diners whose service issue was resolved satisfactorily said they planned to return to the restaurant in 2024.[2]
  • 78% of U.S. restaurants attempted to resolve a reported service failure in 2024, according to surveyed restaurant guests.[2]

Value proposition in the beverage service industry

  • 47% of U.S. limited-service restaurant customers said the dining experience was more important than meal price in 2025.[6]
  • 80% of U.S. off-premises restaurant customers responded positively to value deals such as limited-time offers, discounts or buy-one-get-one promotions in 2025.[7]
  • 47% of U.S. restaurant operators planned to add discounts, deals or value promotions to attract customers in 2025.[6]
  • 64% of U.S. full-service restaurant customers said the dining experience was more important than meal price in 2025.[6]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

ESG-linked reporting intersects with beverage categories: 61% of Starbucks revenue from company-operated stores came from beverages in fiscal 2025. Reuse system performance is high in Europe, with return rates above 95% in a reusable barometer sample covering 2024–2025.

Sustainability in the beverage service industry

  • Technology integration and digital diagnostics were identified as a major beverage-packaging investment focus in the 2025 industry survey.[45]
  • Beverage packaging manufacturers identified sustainability and material shifts away from rigid plastics as a major investment focus for 2025–2028.[45]

ESG in the beverage service industry

  • 61% of Starbucks revenue from company-operated stores came from beverages in fiscal 2025, providing the company’s largest reported product-category exposure for ESG and operational reporting.[22]
  • 100,000 additional jobs were forecast for the U.S. restaurant industry in 2026, according to the National Restaurant Association.[7]
  • Starbucks reported $37.18 billion in total revenue for fiscal 2025, including company-operated stores, channel development and other activities.[22]
  • 42% of U.S. restaurant operators said their restaurant was not profitable in 2025, highlighting the governance and financial-resilience pressure facing the sector in 2026.[7]

Ethics in the beverage service industry

  • 41.3% of U.S. restaurant operators identified workforce and skills gaps as a barrier to connected technology in 2026.[7]
  • 33.1% of U.S. restaurant operators identified data privacy or security risks as a barrier to connected technology in 2026.[7]
  • 47% of U.S. restaurant operators planned to invest in cybersecurity technology in 2025.[6]
  • 38.8% of U.S. restaurant operators identified technology integration as a barrier to connected systems in 2026.[7]

CSR in the beverage service industry

  • 200,000 restaurant jobs were projected to be added in the United States in 2025, bringing total industry employment to 15.9 million.[6]
  • 29% of U.S. restaurant operators said technology improved employee training after adoption during the prior two to three years in 2025.[6]
  • 4 in 10 U.S. restaurant workers were teenagers or young adults in 2025, according to industry reporting.[7]
  • 77% of U.S. restaurant operators said recruiting and retaining employees remained a leading challenge in 2025.[7]

Circular economy in the beverage service industry

  • B2B hospitality reusable-packaging systems reported return rates above 95% in the European Reuse Barometer sample covering 2024–2025.[46]
  • Reusable beverage crates averaged 82 cycles in 2025 among European companies surveyed in the European Reuse Barometer.[46]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Global footprint is extensive in quick-service networks, with Restaurant Brands International having 120+ countries and territories containing restaurants at December 31, 2025. The same source cites 6,232 Tim Hortons locations within that footprint.

Globalization in the beverage service industry

  • 120+ countries and territories contained Restaurant Brands International restaurants at December 31, 2025, including 6,232 Tim Hortons locations.[18]
  • 51 countries and territories hosted Popeyes restaurants at December 31, 2025, with 5,413 locations globally.[18]
  • 21 countries and territories hosted Tim Hortons restaurants at December 31, 2025, with 1,646 international locations.[18]
  • 126 countries and territories hosted Burger King restaurants at December 31, 2025, with 19,900 locations globally.[18]

Cultural adaptation in the beverage service industry

  • 7,000 consumers participated in Deloitte Switzerland’s 2024 international coffee study examining differences in preparation, milk preferences and sustainability attitudes.[2]
  • 13 countries were covered by Deloitte Switzerland’s 2024 Coffee Study, which surveyed national coffee preferences across Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Spain, the UK, the US and Switzerland.[2]

Supplier management in the beverage service industry

  • 91% of restaurant operators surveyed in 2025 expressed interest in subscription-based product-ordering models from distributors.[52]
  • Restaurant operators used an average of 3.1 foodservice distributors in summer 2025, up from 2.8 before the pandemic.[52]
  • 89% of 500 restaurant operators surveyed in summer 2025 reported satisfaction with their primary foodservice distributor.[52]
  • 78% of restaurant operators surveyed in 2025 purchased distributor-brand products, and half said they bought more of them than two years earlier.[52]

Stakeholder management in the beverage service industry

  • 27% of restaurant operators surveyed in 2025 said they would collect distributor orders from a drop location if that option were available.[52]
  • $186.5 million in 2024 beverage-company funding support was provided to Coca-Cola Consolidated for direct payments and customer marketing programs.[18]
  • 57% of restaurant operators surveyed by IFDA in 2025 said artificial intelligence made distributor sales representatives more efficient.[52]
  • $209.5 million in 2025 funding support from Coca-Cola and other beverage companies was provided to Coca-Cola Consolidated, including direct payments and customer marketing-program payments.[18]

Distribution channels in the beverage service industry

  • Less than 10% of Coca-Cola Consolidated’s bottle-and-can volume was delivered through alternative route-to-market arrangements during 2025.[18]
  • 33.8 billion unit cases were sold by the Coca-Cola system globally in 2025 through channels including small retailers, restaurants, bars, supermarkets and third-party distributors.[18]
  • Approximately two-thirds of Coca-Cola Consolidated’s post-mix gallons were delivered through alternative route-to-market distributors during 2025.[18]
  • 60.3% of Coca-Cola FEMSA’s 2025 sales volume came from Coca-Cola brands, including reduced- and no-sugar variants.[18]

Key questions about the beverage service industry

What is the size of the global cafes-and-bars market in 2025?
The global cafes-and-bars market reached $502 billion in 2025.
How fast is the global cafes-and-bars market expected to grow through 2030?
It is forecast to grow at a 5.2% CAGR through 2030, reaching $647 billion by 2030 from $502 billion in 2025.
Which companies lead the beverage service industry?
McDonald's stands out for beverage service through franchised and company-operated scale because it generated $26.9 billion in 2025 revenue, while Yum! Brands leads in beverage service since it posted 9% revenue growth and a 31.3% operating margin.
What AI or automation adoption levels matter for beverage service operations in 2026?
In 2026, 29% of U.S. restaurant operators used tools or technologies incorporating AI in 2026, and 38.6% reported using AI tools in 2026. For back-office analytics, 69% were actively using or piloting AI for back-office reporting and analytics in 2026.
How fragmented is the cafes-and-bars competitive structure?
Independent outlets accounted for 70.20% of the global cafes-and-bars market size in 2024, indicating fragmentation rather than chain dominance.
How do off-premises beverage attachment and delivery packaging relate to ordering behavior in 2026?
In 2026, 83% of delivery customers said they would order beverages more often if restaurants packaged them better.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 11). Beverage Service Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/beverage-service-industry-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Beverage Service Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 11 Nov 2026, https://gitnux.org/beverage-service-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Beverage Service Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/beverage-service-industry-statistics.

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