Gitnux/Report 2026

Food Service Industry Statistics

The U.S. restaurant sales forecast is $1.54 trillion in 2026, explore the figures behind growth, company scale and 2026 technology adoption.
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November 11, 2026Updated
Food Service Industry Statistics
Felix ZimmermannWritten by Felix Zimmermann·Edited by Sarah Mitchell·Fact-checked by Maya Johansson
Published ·Updated
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

An editor sets the topic, the inclusion criteria, and the evaluation framework before research starts.

02Source Research

AI search agents locate sources and extract each figure together with the document it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 31 days

01 Industry overview

The food service industry at a glance

U.S. foodservice sales are forecast to reach $1.54 trillion in 2026, with demand resilient but growth increasingly shaped by inflation, value-seeking consumers and labor costs.

$1.54T[77]
Forecast sales, 2026
$1.41T[78]
Foodservice sales, 2025
15.9M[2]
Foodservice jobs, 2025
5%[45]
Employment growth, 2025–35
Market size
U.S. foodservice outlets recorded $1.41 trillion in inflation-adjusted food sales in 2025, up from $818 billion in 1997. The broader total for foodservice and food retailing outlets was $2.51 trillion in 2025.[78]
Forecast & CAGR
Restaurant industry sales are projected to reach $1.54 trillion in 2026, representing 4.3% nominal growth. Inflation-adjusted growth is expected to be 0.8%, indicating that much of the increase reflects higher menu prices and operating costs rather than stronger traffic.[77]
Market share & regions
Per-capita food-away-from-home purchases reached $3,936 nationally in 2025. Washington, D.C. led at $9,287, followed by Nevada at $6,008 and Hawaii at $5,572, while West Virginia had the lowest figure at $2,732.[78]
Segmentation
The National Restaurant Association separates the industry into full-service restaurants and caterers, limited-service restaurants, bars and taverns, lodging places, retail hosts, recreation and sports, and schools and colleges. Limited-service operations include quick-service, fast-casual, cafeterias, buffets, snack and beverage bars, and mobile food vendors.[4]
Key players & concentration
Reliable current concentration data for the full U.S. foodservice industry was not identified. The sector includes both national chains and independent operators; in the first half of 2026, an estimated 61% of 9,541 restaurant openings were by independent operators.[77]
Pricing
The median hourly wage for U.S. food and beverage serving and related workers was $15.24 in May 2025, compared with $16.85 for food-preparation and serving-related occupations overall. Restaurant sales growth in 2026 is expected to be partly price-driven by higher ingredient, wage and other operating costs.[45][77]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Key growth factors include convenience, delivery, loyalty programs, technology-enabled ordering and fast-casual formats. Major challenges remain labor costs, food costs, recruitment and retention, household affordability and uneven traffic; total foodservice traffic declined 0.3% in 2025.[4][79][77]
Consumer behavior & competition
Restaurant spending increased 3.3% year over year through July 2026, but consumers are moderating purchases through promotions, loyalty rewards, smaller orders and fewer visits. Circana found that 35% of restaurant consumers were ordering smaller portions than normal, while fast-casual sales growth continued to outpace quick service, casual dining and fine dining.[77][79]
Latest news
The latest available industry update projects $1.54 trillion in U.S. restaurant sales for 2026, with 4.3% nominal growth and 0.8% real growth. Bank of America also reported 9,541 restaurant openings and 8,171 closings in the first half of 2026, showing substantial unit turnover.[77]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Food Service Industry

The leading companies in the food 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 operating margin discipline because it had an operating margin of 46.1%, while Yum! Brands focuses on global franchised scale since it franchises or operates more than 44,000 restaurants in 150 countries and territories.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

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

    McDonald's

    US

    Ranked #1 · 8.9 · Quick-service restaurants

    Why we picked it: The quick-service operator reported an operating margin of 46.1% alongside 4% revenue growth.

    See in ranking ↓Visit mcdonalds.com ↗

  2. Leader in franchised restaurant

    Yum! Brands

    US

    Ranked #2 · 8.9 · Franchised restaurant brands

    Why we picked it: The franchised-restaurant operator runs or franchises a large multi-country footprint backed by 9% revenue growth.

    See in ranking ↓Visit yum.com ↗

  3. Leader in pizza delivery & restaurants

    Domino's Pizza

    US

    Ranked #3 · 8.8 · Pizza delivery & restaurants

    Why we picked it: The pizza delivery and restaurants operator posted 5% revenue growth and a 19.3% operating margin.

    See in ranking ↓Visit dominos.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Picks 2 and 3 are the highest-ranked companies in the top 5 that add a new segment.

Full ranking

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

McDonald's

Quick-service restaurants · US

8.9
2

Yum! Brands

Franchised restaurant brands · US

8.9
3

Domino's Pizza

Pizza delivery & restaurants · US

8.8
4

Aramark

Contract foodservice · US

8.6
5

Performance Food Group

Foodservice distribution · US

8.6
6

Darden Restaurants

US full-service restaurant operations · US

8.5
7

Chipotle Mexican Grill

Global fast-casual restaurants · US

8.3
8

Sodexo

Global contract foodservice and services · FR

8.3
9

Jollibee Foods

Asia-led multi-brand restaurants · PH

8.2
10

Starbucks

Global coffeehouse operator · US

8.1

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).

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

Felix Zimmermann. (2026, February 13). Top 10 companies in the food service industry. In Food Service Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/food-service-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Comparison

Revenue of the largest food service companies

Performance Food Group leads with $67.8B in annual revenue (group level, converted to USD).

Performance Food Group$67.8B
McDonald's$26.9B
Sodexo$26.0B
Aramark$17.4B
Darden Restaurants$13.2B
source-verifiedinvestors.pfgc.com · corporate.mcdonalds.com · sodexo.com · aramark.com · investor.darden.com2026

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

Operators keep moving from pilots to use. In 2026, 42% were experimenting with AI through vendors, and 38.6% used AI tools.

AI in the food service industry

  • 42% of U.S. restaurant operators were experimenting with AI through vendors in 2026.[1]
  • 20% of restaurant operators were running small-scale AI pilots in 2026.[2]
  • 3.2% of restaurant operators were implementing AI projects companywide in 2026.[2]
  • 38.6% of U.S. restaurant operators used AI tools in 2026.[2]
  • 26.2% of restaurant operators said they were excited about AI in 2026, while 42.4% were cautious.[2]
  • 87% of U.S. restaurant operators said they were comfortable using AI in 2026.[1]

Automation in the food service industry

  • 26% of restaurant AI and automation users used predictive ordering in 2026.[3]
  • 38% of restaurant AI and automation users applied AI to labor forecasting in 2026.[3]
  • 9% of U.S. restaurants reported using robotics in 2025, including 7% of full-service and 10% of limited-service restaurants.[4]
  • 31% of restaurant AI and automation users used automated scheduling in 2026.[3]
  • 22% of restaurant AI and automation users used AI for onboarding in 2026.[3]
  • 31% of restaurant AI and automation users applied AI to inventory forecasting in 2026.[3]

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

  • 69% of U.S. restaurant operators that had added technology said it made their restaurant more efficient and productive in 2025.[4]
  • 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.[2]
  • 82% of U.S. restaurant operators said technology had benefited their business in 2026.[2]
  • 28% of U.S. restaurant operators that had invested in technology said it improved restaurant profitability in 2025.[4]
  • 67% of U.S. restaurant operators said they had incorporated more technology into their operations during the previous two to three years in 2025.[4]

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

  • 83% of U.S. restaurant operators said technology provides a competitive advantage in 2025.[4]
  • 52% of U.S. restaurant operators planned to invest in point-of-sale systems in 2025.[4]
  • 49% of U.S. restaurant operators planned to invest in contactless ordering or payment in 2025.[4]
  • 76% of food-and-beverage respondents reported using point-of-sale technology in 2025, compared with 75% in 2024.[5]
  • 65% of U.S. restaurant operators planned to invest in digital or location-based marketing in 2025.[4]
  • 28% of U.S. restaurant operators planned to invest in artificial-intelligence integration in 2025.[4]

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

  • 55% of Texas restaurant operators reported using a cloud-based POS system in 2024, while 47% reported using a legacy POS system.[6]
  • 63% of full-service restaurant operators in the United States reported using a cloud POS system in 2024.[7]
  • 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.[8]
  • 77% of Las Vegas restaurant operators reported using cloud POS systems in 2024, the highest rate among the major U.S. cities surveyed.[8]
  • 68% of quick-service restaurants expected cloud-application use to increase by 2025, compared with 54% of full-service restaurants in the United States.[9]
  • 62% of restaurant operators in New York City reported using cloud POS systems in 2024, compared with 38% using legacy systems.[8]

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

  • 20% of major restaurant brands had a comprehensive big-data strategy in BCG’s 2018 digital-maturity survey.[10]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Integration and data quality stay central to analytics investment. In 2025, 14% of operators cited ensuring data quality as their biggest challenge when incorporating new data.

Business intelligence in the food service industry

  • 34% of surveyed restaurant operators prioritized integrated accounting and reporting technology for 2024.[11]
  • 4.5 billion transactions were analyzed in PAR Technology's 2025 QSR Operational Index for 2024.[12]
  • 31% of surveyed Restaurant365 customers planned to implement artificial-intelligence inventory and purchasing tools in 2024.[11]
  • Nearly half of U.S. restaurant operators surveyed planned to invest in business intelligence and analytics in 2024.[11]
  • 33% of surveyed Restaurant365 customers planned to implement artificial-intelligence guest marketing in 2024.[11]
  • 36% of surveyed restaurant operators prioritized employee-lifecycle software for 2024.[11]

Data analytics in the food service industry

  • 5 times as much sales were generated by restaurant guests receiving one-to-one marketing as by guests receiving non-personalized marketing in 2024.[13]
  • 28% of surveyed restaurant operators planned to open two to five locations in 2024.[11]
  • 25% of surveyed restaurant operators planned to open one location in 2024.[11]
  • 68 million unique restaurant guests were profiled in DataDelivers' 2025 Guest Engagement Report.[13]
  • 4% of surveyed restaurant operators planned to open six or more locations in 2024.[11]
  • 11% was the increase in Canadian menu items launched for lunch and dinner from 2023 to 2024.[14]

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

  • 7% of QSR and fast-casual brands said they could easily extract and use holistic data to drive decisions in 2023.[15]
  • 14% of U.S. restaurant operators identified ensuring data quality as their biggest challenge when incorporating new data in 2025.[16]
  • 21% of U.S. restaurant operators rated their data quality as good in the December 2023 survey.[17]
  • 25% of QSR and fast-casual brands rated their ability to extract and use holistic data as poor or below average in 2023.[15]

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.[18]
  • 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.[18]
  • 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.[18]
  • 10% of restaurant and retail organizations said improved data governance was not a high priority in the United States in 2019.[18]

KPIs in the food service industry

  • 92 out of 100 was the 2024 full-service restaurant KPI score for food-order accuracy in the United States.[19]
  • 89 out of 100 was the 2024 full-service restaurant KPI score for restaurant layout and cleanliness in the United States.[19]
  • 88 out of 100 was the 2024 full-service restaurant KPI score for beverage-menu variety in the United States.[19]
  • 87 out of 100 was the 2024 full-service restaurant KPI score for food-menu variety in the United States.[19]
  • 85 out of 100 was the 2024 full-service restaurant KPI score for mobile-app quality in the United States.[19]
  • 89 out of 100 was the 2024 full-service restaurant KPI score for food quality in the United States.[19]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Unit and menu decisions remain frequent. In 2025, Chipotle opened 334 company-owned restaurants and saw 5.4% total revenue growth.

Growth in the food service industry

  • 4% was Starbucks’ global store-count growth in fiscal 2024.[20]
  • 3,726 Chipotle company-owned restaurants were operating at the beginning of 2025.[21]
  • 14 Chipotle partner-operated restaurants were operating at the end of 2025, up from three at the end of 2024.[21]
  • 5.4% was Chipotle’s total revenue growth in 2025 compared with 2024.[21]
  • 7.4% was Chipotle’s comparable-restaurant-sales increase in 2024.[21]
  • 334 Chipotle company-owned restaurants opened during 2025, compared with 304 openings in 2024.[21]

Differentiation in the food service industry

  • 69% of U.S. diners said locally sourced ingredients would make them likely to choose a restaurant in 2024.[6]
  • 30% of U.S. diners said diet-specific offerings would make them likely to choose a restaurant in 2024.[6]
  • 25% of U.S. diners said halal or kosher offerings would make them likely to choose a restaurant in 2024.[6]
  • 29% of U.S. diners said gluten-free offerings would make them likely to choose a restaurant in 2024.[6]
  • 25% of U.S. diners said vegan offerings would make them likely to choose a restaurant in 2024.[6]
  • 85% of surveyed consumers preferred ordering from a physical menu and speaking with a server in a 2024 restaurant-consumer survey.[22]

Mergers and acquisitions in the food service industry

  • $2 billion was the estimated 2024 purchase price for Blackstone’s acquisition of Tropical Smoothie Cafe.[23]
  • $1.7 billion was Restaurant Brands International’s acquisition value for Carrols Restaurant Group in 2024.[24]
  • 55% of restaurant transaction dollar volume was attributed to private-equity groups in the Harris Williams sector analysis.[25]
  • $650 million was the sale price for Just Eat Takeaway’s divestiture of Grubhub in 2024.[26]
  • $715 million was the approximate equity value of Darden Restaurants’ Ruth’s Hospitality Group acquisition.[27]
  • $600 million was the value of Darden Restaurants’ acquisition of Chuy’s in 2024.[23]

Strategic partnerships in the food service industry

  • 78% of restaurant operators purchased distributor-brand products in 2025, indicating substantial engagement with distributor private-label programs.[28]
  • 89% of restaurant operators reported satisfaction with their primary distributor in 2025, supporting continued commercial collaboration.[28]
  • 91% of restaurant operators expressed interest in subscription-based ordering models that could deepen distributor relationships in 2025.[28]
  • 3 partner-operated Chipotle restaurants were operating at the end of 2024, rising to 14 at the end of 2025.[21]
  • 57% of restaurant operators said artificial intelligence improves distributor sales-representative efficiency in 2025.[28]
  • 82% of restaurant operators regularly used multiple distributors in the cited IFDA study, creating a broad base for supplier alliances.[28]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Labor constraints shape operational planning. In 2025, 15.9M people were employed in foodservice, with employment growth forecast at 5% for 2025–35.

Hiring in the food service industry

  • 26% of restaurants using AI tools applied them to employee training in 2025.[4]
  • 63% of restaurants that used AI tools applied them to hiring or staffing in 2025.[4]
  • 38% of restaurants using AI tools applied them to employee onboarding in 2025.[4]
  • 49% of restaurant operators planned to increase staffing levels in 2026.[23]
  • 32% of restaurant operators said their businesses lacked enough employees to support existing customer demand in 2025.[4]

Employee retention in the food service industry

  • 80% was the approximate annual employee turnover rate in the restaurant industry in January 2024.[29]
  • 54.94% of restaurant operators used shoulder-to-shoulder training in 2026.[11]
  • 37.31% of restaurant operators planned to increase training as a retention investment in the second half of 2026.[11]
  • 79% of restaurants reported employee turnover below 25% in 2025.[11]
  • 6% lower turnover was reported by restaurant brands offering top-tier general-manager salaries in 2024.[30]

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.[9]
  • 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.[9]
  • 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.[9]
  • 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.[31]

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

  • 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.[9]
  • 84% of hospitality and food-service respondents globally agreed in 2025 that the ability to work remotely was important for employee retention.[32]
  • 80% of hospitality and food-service employers globally said in 2025 that their organizations were still struggling to balance hybrid work effectively.[32]
  • 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.[32]

Upskilling in the food service industry

  • 61% of restaurant operators prioritized basic job-skills training in 2025.[33]
  • 37.31% of restaurant operators planned to invest more heavily in training during the second half of 2026.[11]
  • 52% of restaurant brands identified team workflow, training and station efficiency as an operational priority for 2026.[34]
  • 72% of restaurant learning-and-development professionals said AI improved their work quality in 2025.[33]
  • Four times faster was the project-completion rate reported for proficient AI users compared with basic users among restaurant L&D professionals in 2025.[33]

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

  • 25% of U.S. restaurant workers surveyed in 2025 said they felt unrecognized for their hard work.[1]
  • 67% of 702 U.S. restaurant employees surveyed in 2026 were satisfied or extremely satisfied with their pay.[1]
  • More than half of restaurant employees surveyed in 2024 said greater management recognition would increase their engagement, while one-quarter rarely received feedback.[35]
  • 32% of U.S. restaurant employees surveyed in 2026 ranked good hourly pay among their top-three favorite job aspects, tied with flexible scheduling.[1]
  • 62% of 702 U.S. restaurant employees surveyed in 2026 were satisfied or extremely satisfied with their benefits.[1]

DEI in the food service industry

  • 62% of cooks in the U.S. restaurant and foodservice workforce were minorities in 2024.[2]
  • 52% of U.S. restaurant and foodservice employees were minorities in 2024.[2]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Retention continues to be a high bar as traffic softens. Total foodservice traffic declined 0.3% in 2025, while 8% retention applied to non-personalized marketing or no outreach in 2025.

Customer experience in the food service industry

  • 84 out of 100 was the customer-satisfaction score for U.S. full-service restaurants in 2024.[19]
  • 89 out of 100 was the full-service restaurant score for food quality in the United States in 2024.[19]
  • 79 out of 100 was the customer-satisfaction score for U.S. fast-food restaurants in 2024.[19]
  • 87 out of 100 was the full-service restaurant score for website satisfaction in the United States in 2024.[19]
  • 48% of U.S. restaurant operators invested in technology to enhance the customer experience in 2023.[4]

Customer retention in the food service industry

  • 34% was the retention rate for restaurant guests receiving personalized one-to-one marketing in 2025.[13]
  • 42% of restaurant customers shopping in a given month did not return during the following year, according to transaction data covering 2022–2025.[36]
  • 8% was the retention rate for restaurant guests receiving non-personalized marketing or no outreach in 2025.[13]
  • 71% of diners were classified as uncommitted restaurant customers visiting less than once every two months in 2025.[36]
  • 70% of restaurant revenue came from uncommitted customers in the 2025 Upside analysis.[36]

Customer acquisition in the food service industry

  • 12% of U.S. diners who use social media to discover restaurants use YouTube, according to a 2024 restaurant survey.[37]
  • 18% of U.S. diners who use social media to discover restaurants use Instagram, according to a 2024 restaurant survey.[37]
  • 10% of U.S. diners who use social media to discover restaurants use TikTok, according to a 2024 restaurant survey.[37]
  • 19% of Gen Z U.S. social-media users seeking restaurants used TikTok for discovery in 2024.[37]
  • 3,000 new guests were generated for one restaurant group through SevenRooms Email Marketing in four months in 2024.[38]

Customer loyalty in the food service industry

  • 58% of U.S. restaurant customers preferred coupons or promotions as email content in 2024.[7]
  • 52% of prospective U.S. restaurant loyalty-program members preferred participating through a physical card in 2024.[4]
  • 52% of U.S. consumers said they participated in restaurant, coffee-shop, snack-place or deli loyalty programs in 2024.[2]
  • 67% of U.S. restaurants offered a loyalty program in 2023.[22]
  • 64% of U.S. restaurateurs sent personalized offers to customers in 2023.[8]

Lead generation in the food service industry

  • 16% of U.S. restaurant operators used SMS as their primary customer-communication method in 2023.[8]
  • 37% of U.S. Gen X diners preferred email marketing for restaurant promotions in 2024.[38]
  • 26% of U.S. restaurant operators used email as their primary customer-communication method in 2023.[8]
  • 38% of U.S. Millennials preferred email marketing for restaurant promotions in 2024.[38]
  • 12% of U.S. restaurant operators used in-app messages as their primary customer-communication method in 2023.[8]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Personalized communications show clearer engagement. Data cited for 2024 shows two times more revenue per email for targeted restaurant emails.

Marketing in the food service industry

  • 22% of U.S. restaurant operators using email reported emailing customers daily in 2023.[8]
  • 40% of U.S. restaurant operators using email reported emailing customers every few days in 2023.[8]
  • 2 times more revenue per email was generated by targeted restaurant emails in SevenRooms customer data in 2024.[39]
  • 37% of U.S. restaurant operators identified social media as their primary customer-communication method in 2023.[8]
  • 64% of U.S. restaurateurs reported sending personalized offers to customers in 2023.[8]

Digital marketing in the food service industry

  • $12 million in revenue was generated by SevenRooms U.S. customers using email marketing between February and 2024 report publication.[39]
  • 9.9% was the average increase in restaurant business-to-consumer revenue attributed directly to social-media strategies in 2024.[40]
  • 94% of U.S. restaurants allowed customers to view their menu online in 2023.[22]
  • 212,000 restaurant covers were generated through SevenRooms customer email marketing between February and 2024 report publication.[39]
  • 81% of U.S. restaurants used Facebook for promotion in 2023.[8]

Branding in the food service industry

  • 84% of U.S. diners preferred seeing photos of food and drinks on a restaurant’s social-media page in 2024.[1]
  • 3.2 percentage points was the decline in quick-service restaurant trust scores in the 2024 Axios Harris Poll 100.[41]
  • 74% of U.S. restaurants used Instagram for promotion in 2023.[8]
  • 60% of U.S. Gen Z consumers stood in line at least 30 minutes during the previous year to eat a specific food or visit a specific restaurant in 2024.[41]
  • $371 was the average monthly U.S. household spending on restaurants in 2025, according to VistaPrint’s restaurant-branding survey.[42]

Social media in the food service industry

  • 56% of U.S. restaurants used Twitter for promotion in 2023.[8]
  • 18% of U.S. social-media users seeking restaurants used Instagram for discovery in 2024.[37]
  • 26% of U.S. restaurants used TikTok for promotion in 2023.[8]
  • 14% of U.S. social-media users seeking restaurants used Facebook for discovery in 2024.[37]
  • 10% of U.S. social-media users seeking restaurants used TikTok for discovery in 2024.[37]

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

  • Across food and drink influencer content globally, TikTok posts achieved a 3% average engagement rate in 2023, compared with 2% on Instagram.[43]
  • Across food and drink influencer content globally, 11.5 million posts generated an average 1.19% engagement rate in 2023.[43]
  • Across hospitality brands, 91% include some form of influencer marketing within their brand strategy in 2026.[44]
  • Across hospitality brands, 49% include paid influencer work within their brand strategy in 2026.[44]
  • Across surveyed restaurants and venues, 42% said influencers or user-generated content drove the most bookings in the United Kingdom in 2024.[39]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Connected ordering and execution quality remain measurable. In 2025, 35% of restaurant brands identified third-party ordering as their top source of operational instability.

Process optimization in the food service industry

  • 48% of U.S. sit-down restaurant customers said they would place an order on a smartphone using a QR code in 2024.[4]
  • 77.9% of restaurant technology survey respondents expected technology, data and artificial intelligence to be at least moderately critical to their businesses within five years.[2]
  • 63.9% of restaurant operators cited increased sales as a reason to invest in technology.[2]
  • 89% of U.S. restaurant operators reported using some form of artificial intelligence in their business in 2023.[8]
  • 59% of U.S. sit-down restaurant customers said they would access a menu on a smartphone using a QR code in 2024.[4]

Operational efficiency in the food service industry

  • 125.932 was the 2024 labor-productivity index for U.S. full-service restaurants, with 2019 equal to 100.[45]
  • 2.9% per year was the average output growth in U.S. restaurants and other eating places from 2019 to 2024.[45]
  • -0.5% was the change in total-factor productivity for U.S. food services and drinking places in 2024.[45]
  • 3.3% per year was the average productivity increase in U.S. restaurants and other eating places from 2019 to 2024.[45]
  • 12.491 million people were employed in U.S. food services and drinking places in 2025.[45]

Quality management in the food service industry

  • 89 was the 2024 U.S. full-service restaurant customer score for restaurant layout and cleanliness on the ACSI 0-to-100 scale.[19]
  • 84 was the 2024 U.S. fast-food restaurant customer-satisfaction score on the ACSI 0-to-100 scale.[19]
  • 89 was the 2024 U.S. full-service restaurant customer score for food quality on the ACSI 0-to-100 scale.[19]
  • 14,604 completed surveys formed the sample for the 2024 ACSI Restaurant and Food Delivery Study.[19]
  • 92 was the 2024 U.S. full-service restaurant customer score for food-order accuracy on the ACSI 0-to-100 scale.[19]

Supply chain in the food service industry

  • 35% of restaurant brands identified third-party ordering as their top source of operational instability in 2025.[46]
  • 197 qualified supply-chain, procurement, operations and distribution executives from U.S. restaurant chains participated in the 2026 stockout survey.[47]
  • 49% of restaurant brands generated more than 25% of total sales through digital channels in 2025.[46]
  • 26% of U.S. food-and-beverage businesses expected supply-chain volatility to be a primary obstacle to strategic goals in 2025.[48]
  • 12.4 million tons of food became waste in the U.S. foodservice sector in 2024.[49]

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.[50]
  • 74.1% of surveyed food and beverage companies in the United States used outsourcing for production in 2022.[50]
  • 23% of surveyed United States foodservice operators outsourced labor, such as delivery, to a third party in 2022.[51]
  • 23.7% was the average share of production outsourced by surveyed United States food and beverage companies in 2022.[50]
  • 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.[52]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Cost pressure translates into menu price changes. Over the 13 months ending in 2026, full-service menu prices increased 4.4% and limited-service menu prices rose 3.6%.

Pricing strategy in the food service industry

  • 69 was the 2024 U.S. food-delivery customer score for fairness of taxes and service fees on the ACSI 0-to-100 scale.[19]
  • 4.4% was the increase in U.S. full-service restaurant menu prices over the 13 months ending in 2026.[2]
  • 14% was the average premium consumers said they would pay for their preferred digital restaurant interaction in a Deloitte survey.[29]
  • 69 was the 2024 U.S. food-delivery customer score for fairness of food prices on the ACSI 0-to-100 scale.[19]
  • 3.6% was the increase in U.S. limited-service restaurant menu prices over the 13 months ending in 2026.[2]

Cost reduction in the food service industry

  • 36.5% of sales was the median 2024 labor-cost ratio for U.S. full-service restaurant respondents.[2]
  • 31.7% of sales was the median 2024 labor-cost ratio for U.S. limited-service restaurant respondents.[2]
  • 36% was the increase in total expenses for an average U.S. restaurant between 2019 and 2026.[2]
  • 33% of sales was the approximate share represented by food costs at a typical U.S. restaurant in the National Restaurant Association’s model.[2]
  • 42.9% of sales was the median 2024 labor-cost ratio among U.S. full-service restaurants that reported a loss.[2]

Profitability in the food service industry

  • 36% above 2019 sales was the level a modeled U.S. restaurant needed to maintain a 5% pre-tax margin after higher costs.[2]
  • 30.0% of sales was the median labor-cost ratio among profitable U.S. limited-service restaurant operators in 2024.[2]
  • 29% above 2019 sales was the level a modeled U.S. restaurant needed to reach break-even after higher costs.[2]
  • 34.2% of sales was the median labor-cost ratio among profitable U.S. full-service restaurant operators in 2024.[2]
  • 61% of U.S. restaurant operators reported declining customer traffic between 2023 and 2024.[4]

Financial planning in the food service industry

  • $75,000 was the modeled pre-tax income for a U.S. restaurant earning a 5% margin on its pre-inflation sales base.[2]
  • $432,600 was the modeled pre-tax loss for a U.S. restaurant whose sales stayed at 2019 levels after later cost increases.[2]
  • $2,033,600 was the modeled annual sales level required for a U.S. restaurant to maintain a 5% pre-tax margin after post-2019 cost increases.[2]
  • 39% of U.S. restaurant operators reported that their restaurant was not profitable in 2024.[4]
  • 61% of U.S. restaurant operators reported lower customer traffic in 2024 than in 2023, affecting revenue planning.[4]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Menu cadence and service recovery influence loyalty. In 2025, 46% of customers experiencing a service disruption remained loyal after 12 months.

Product development in the food service industry

  • 4% of foodservice operators had experimented with artificial intelligence for recipe development and menu design in 2024.[53]
  • 15% of limited-service restaurant operators planned to expand menus in 2024.[54]
  • 86% of U.S. adults said they like having many choices on restaurant menus in 2024.[54]
  • 37% of operators expected to increase culinary innovation efforts in 2026.[55]
  • 39.2% was the increase in menu items released per chain in North America from 2023 to 2024.[14]

Product lifecycle in the food service industry

  • 56% of operators planned no significant change to menu-development initiatives in 2026.[55]
  • 53% was the increase in the number of restaurant limited-time offers over the four years to 2024.[41]
  • 16% of limited-service restaurants reported offering fewer menu items in 2024 than in 2023.[54]
  • 12% of U.S. restaurants reported offering more menu items in 2024 than in 2023.[54]
  • 20% of U.S. restaurants reported offering fewer menu items in 2024 than in 2023.[54]

After-sales in the food service industry

  • 87 out of 100 was the 2024 U.S. full-service restaurant score for website satisfaction.[19]
  • 87 out of 100 was the 2024 U.S. full-service restaurant score for speed of receiving a table order.[19]
  • 46% of customers who experienced a service disruption remained loyal after 12 months.[56]
  • 63% was the average increase in customer retention associated with effective service recovery after a disruption.[56]
  • 92 out of 100 was the 2024 U.S. full-service restaurant score for food-order accuracy.[19]

Value proposition in the food service industry

  • 40% of U.S. consumers said in 2023 they were more likely to visit a restaurant offering new or innovative flavors.[57]
  • 25% of U.S. consumers snacked several times a week from foodservice locations in 2024.[57]
  • 53% of U.S. consumers reported ordering fries as a snack from a foodservice location in 2024.[57]
  • 50% of U.S. consumers agreed in 2024 that snacks are a good opportunity to try new flavors.[57]
  • 33% of U.S. consumers said in 2023 they were willing to pay more for a restaurant meal featuring new or unique flavors.[57]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Food waste reduction is widespread. In 2024, 9.73 million tons of U.S. foodservice food waste went to landfill.

Sustainability in the food service industry

  • 83% of U.S. restaurant owners and purchasing decision-makers were exploring or implementing food-waste-reduction strategies.[58]
  • 9.38% of U.S. restaurant operators identified local sourcing as their sustainability action in 2025.[11]
  • 63% of healthcare foodservice operators surveyed in the United States said reducing food waste was a focus in 2024.[59]
  • 19.92% of U.S. restaurant operators identified additional waste-reduction training as their sustainability action in 2025.[11]
  • 10.55% of U.S. restaurant operators identified eco-friendly packaging as their sustainability action in 2025.[11]

ESG in the food service industry

  • Toast reported 21 metric tons of market-based Scope 2 emissions in FY2023.[60]
  • Toast reported 279,583 metric tons of Scope 3 emissions in FY2023.[60]
  • Toast reported 459 metric tons of Scope 1 greenhouse-gas emissions in FY2023.[60]
  • Toast served approximately 106,000 restaurant locations through its platform in FY2023.[60]
  • Toast reported 2,819 metric tons of Scope 3 emissions from upstream transportation and distribution in FY2023.[60]

Ethics in the food service industry

  • 27.3% of foodservice companies in a study reported having a code of conduct.[61]
  • 9.1% of foodservice companies in a study reported ethical behavior as a vision-and-values CSR activity.[61]
  • 33.3% of foodservice companies in a study reported relationships with guests as a marketplace CSR activity.[61]
  • 36.4% of foodservice companies in a study reported self-regulation as a CSR activity.[61]
  • 51.5% of foodservice companies in a study reported trust as a vision-and-values CSR activity.[61]

CSR in the food service industry

  • 51.0% of the top-selling U.S. restaurant chains studied included a health-related CSR statement between 2012 and 2018.[62]
  • 24.4% of CSR statements by top-selling U.S. restaurant chains were health-related.[62]
  • 18.4% of coded CSR statements by top-selling U.S. restaurant chains focused on non-health-related community activities.[62]
  • 68.8% of the 96 top-selling U.S. restaurant chains studied included a CSR statement on their webpages between 2012 and 2018.[62]
  • 18.3% of coded CSR statements by top-selling U.S. restaurant chains focused on sustainability initiatives.[62]

Circular economy in the food service industry

  • 1.63% of surplus food from U.S. Food Waste Pact foodservice signatories went to anaerobic digestion in 2024.[63]
  • 58.19% of surplus food from U.S. Food Waste Pact foodservice signatories went to composting in 2024.[63]
  • 0.17% of surplus food from U.S. Food Waste Pact foodservice signatories went through sewer disposal in 2024.[63]
  • 35.95% of surplus food from U.S. Food Waste Pact foodservice signatories went to landfill in 2024.[63]
  • 3.02% of surplus food from U.S. Food Waste Pact foodservice signatories was donated in 2024.[63]

Carbon footprint in the food service industry

  • 30.67 million metric tons of CO2-equivalent emissions were attributed to post-consumer food waste in China’s foodservice industry.[62]
  • 9.73 million tons of U.S. foodservice food waste went to landfill in 2024.[49]
  • 20.7 billion meals went unsold or uneaten in the U.S. foodservice sector in 2024.[49]
  • 12.5 million tons of surplus food were generated by the U.S. foodservice sector in 2024.[49]
  • 5.73 trillion gallons of water were used to produce food lost in the U.S. foodservice sector in 2024.[49]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Franchise models support overseas scale. McDonald's had 45,356 restaurants worldwide at year-end 2025.

Globalization in the food service industry

  • 89% of McDonald’s restaurants in International Operated Markets were franchised at December 31, 2024.[21]
  • $6.746 billion was McDonald’s 2024 franchised revenue from International Operated Markets.[72]
  • 37,600 employees worked for Restaurant Brands International at December 31, 2024, including restaurant, distribution and corporate employees.[73]
  • More than 4.3 million customers were served daily by Arcos Dorados across Latin America and the Caribbean in 2024.[27]
  • 95% of McDonald’s U.S. restaurants were franchised at December 31, 2024, supporting an asset-light international expansion model.[72]

Cultural adaptation in the food service industry

  • 59% of consumers preferred global dishes faithful to their cultural origins over Americanized versions in Datassential’s 2025 survey.[55]
  • 46% of consumers were more likely to try new flavors at a restaurant than through takeout or delivery in a flavor-trends survey.[74]
  • 89% of consumers had dined at a restaurant serving cuisine from another culture, according to a 2025 Datassential survey.[55]
  • 19% of Boomers ate a globally influenced dish during the previous week in Datassential’s reported survey.[75]
  • 54% of consumers preferred ordering global dishes from a specialist restaurant rather than a generalist restaurant in 2025.[55]

Supplier management in the food service industry

  • 91% of restaurant operators expressed interest in subscription-based product-ordering models in 2025.[28]
  • 82% of restaurant operators regularly used more than one distributor in the cited IFDA operator study.[28]
  • 78% of restaurant operators purchased distributor-brand products in 2025.[28]
  • 57% of restaurant operators said artificial intelligence makes distributor sales representatives more efficient in 2025.[28]
  • Restaurant operators used an average of 3.1 distributors in 2025, up from 2.8 before the pandemic.[28]

Stakeholder management in the food service industry

  • $1.1 trillion in labor income was generated by the U.S. restaurant and foodservice industry in 2024.[2]
  • 73% of consumers in a restaurant-industry survey chose to patronize restaurants supporting local communities or causes they believed in.[76]
  • $3.5 trillion in total output was contributed by the U.S. restaurant and foodservice industry in 2024.[2]
  • 22.9 million people were employed by the U.S. restaurant and foodservice industry in 2024, according to the National Restaurant Association.[2]

Distribution channels in the food service industry

  • $66.5 million was Chipotle’s delivery-service revenue in 2024.[21]
  • 12.2% of total sales at El Pollo Loco came from digital and delivery orders in fiscal 2024.[21]
  • 27% of restaurant operators said they would collect orders from a distributor drop location if offered in 2025.[28]
  • Approximately 90% of Yum China’s company sales came through digital ordering in 2024.[21]
  • 3.1 distributors were used on average by restaurant operators in 2025, reflecting multi-channel foodservice procurement.[28]

Key questions about the Food Service Industry

What is the 2026 U.S. foodservice market size?
The U.S. foodservice sales forecast reaches $1.54 trillion in 2026.
How fast is the U.S. foodservice market growing in 2026?
Restaurant industry sales are projected to reach $1.54 trillion in 2026, with 4.3% nominal growth and 0.8% real growth.
Which companies lead the food service industry?
McDonald's stands out for operating margin discipline because it had an operating margin of 46.1%, while Yum! Brands focuses on global franchised scale since it franchises or operates more than 44,000 restaurants in 150 countries and territories.
How are operators using technology and AI in 2026?
In 2026, 42% of U.S. restaurant operators were experimenting with AI through vendors, while 3.2% were implementing AI projects companywide.
What is the mix of independent versus chain openings in 2026?
In the first half of 2026, an estimated 61% of 9,541 restaurant openings were by independent operators.
What is driving the pricing environment for restaurants in 2026?
Restaurant sales growth in 2026 is expected to be partly price-driven by higher ingredient, wage and other operating costs.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Felix Zimmermann. (2026, February 13). Food Service Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/food-service-industry-statistics
MLA
Felix Zimmermann. "Food Service Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/food-service-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Felix Zimmermann. 2026. "Food Service Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/food-service-industry-statistics.

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