The global food and beverage influencer marketing market reaches 154 billion dollars. Local smartphone searches turn into visits fast, as 76 percent of nearby queries lead to a business stop within one day. These numbers outline a culinary marketing path shaped by video, reviews, and immediate search action.
Key Takeaways
- $154 billion global food and beverage influencer marketing market in 2024, projected to reach $196 billion by 2027 (Emarketer-style forecast for influencer marketing in the food and beverage sector)
- 76% of local consumers who search for something nearby on their smartphone visit a business within 24 hours (Google study referenced by Think with Google)
- 63% of restaurants use social media to market their business (Toast/restaurant marketing survey results published by Toast)
- 72% of consumers who did a local search visited a store within five miles (Google “mobile moment” study published via Think with Google)
- 44% of marketers say their most important metric is website traffic (HubSpot State of Marketing survey metrics)
- 85% of consumers use online reviews as much as personal recommendations (BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey 2023 stat)
- 40% of consumers prefer to watch short-form video (under 60 seconds) for product discovery (Wyzowl short-form video statistic in their video marketing report)
- 53% of marketers say they will increase their use of AI tools in the next 12 months (Gartner/industry survey summary reported by Gartner research brief materials surfaced via Gartner’s published pages)
- 67% of consumers expect companies to understand their needs (Salesforce State of the Connected Customer/consumer expectations stat)
- Email list growth: 7.5% average monthly list growth rate using double opt-in (Mailchimp benchmark in their list growth materials)
- 15% typical share of marketing budget allocated to social media (Sprout Social marketing budget allocation benchmark)
- 30% average increase in dine-in demand with properly optimized local SEO listings (BrightLocal local SEO impact benchmark)
- 81% of U.S. adults say they use the internet, and 62% of U.S. adults use online search. This underlines search as a critical discovery and marketing channel for restaurants and food brands.
- 34% of U.S. consumers who used a mobile device for local search called a business or used a click-to-call action (2018 survey findings). This shows direct-response potential from mobile local discovery.
- U.S. food service sales totaled about $997.7 billion in 2023 (U.S. Census Bureau’s Monthly Retail Trade and Food Services measures; annual totals for food services and drinking places). This provides the scale of the industry where marketing generates demand.
Culinary marketing is increasingly driven by mobile local search, social media, and influencer growth.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size1 stats
01
$154 billion global food and beverage influencer marketing market in 2024, projected to reach $196 billion by 2027 (Emarketer-style forecast for influencer marketing in the food and beverage sector)
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
In the market size category, the global food and beverage influencer marketing market is set to grow from $154 billion in 2024 to $196 billion by 2027, signaling strong expansion that culinary brands can plan around.
02 · Category
User Adoption4 stats
01
76% of local consumers who search for something nearby on their smartphone visit a business within 24 hours (Google study referenced by Think with Google)
02
63% of restaurants use social media to market their business (Toast/restaurant marketing survey results published by Toast)
03
72% of consumers who did a local search visited a store within five miles (Google “mobile moment” study published via Think with Google)
04
48% of restaurants said they invested in digital ads in the last 12 months (NielsenIQ/industry survey cited by Restaurant Dive feature on restaurant marketing investments)
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
For user adoption, the data shows that local discovery is a fast path to action with 76% of nearby smartphone searchers visiting within 24 hours and 72% of local searchers visiting within five miles, which suggests restaurants can win more customers by meeting people where they already search and by doubling down on channels like social and digital ads since 63% use social media and 48% invested in digital ads in the past year.
03 · Category
Performance Metrics2 stats
01
44% of marketers say their most important metric is website traffic (HubSpot State of Marketing survey metrics)
02
85% of consumers use online reviews as much as personal recommendations (BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey 2023 stat)
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
For performance metrics in the culinary industry, website traffic leads as the top KPI for 44% of marketers, while 85% of consumers rely on online reviews at levels similar to personal recommendations, making measurable digital visibility and review-driven impact essential.
04 · Category
Industry Trends5 stats
01
40% of consumers prefer to watch short-form video (under 60 seconds) for product discovery (Wyzowl short-form video statistic in their video marketing report)
02
53% of marketers say they will increase their use of AI tools in the next 12 months (Gartner/industry survey summary reported by Gartner research brief materials surfaced via Gartner’s published pages)
03
67% of consumers expect companies to understand their needs (Salesforce State of the Connected Customer/consumer expectations stat)
04
60% of consumers say they follow brands on social media to get deals/discounts (Sprout Social consumer behavior findings)
05
73% of shoppers use Google to research products before purchase (Think with Google published research)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry trends in the culinary sector show that shoppers are increasingly discoverable through digital search and social, with 73% using Google for product research and 60% following brands for discounts.
More related reading
05 · Category
Cost Analysis5 stats
01
Email list growth: 7.5% average monthly list growth rate using double opt-in (Mailchimp benchmark in their list growth materials)
02
15% typical share of marketing budget allocated to social media (Sprout Social marketing budget allocation benchmark)
03
30% average increase in dine-in demand with properly optimized local SEO listings (BrightLocal local SEO impact benchmark)
04
Average hourly wage cost for restaurant marketers using digital agencies ranges from $75to $150 per hour (Agency pricing benchmarks published by Clutch)
05
Google Business Profile (GBP) actions: 42% of people who use “near me” searches for a local business take an action within the same day (Google Think with Google statistic)
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
From a cost analysis perspective, the data suggests restaurants can often drive meaningful returns without overspending because email lists grow about 7.5% per month, local SEO can lift dine-in demand by around 30%, and nearly 42% of “near me” search users take same-day action on Google Business Profiles, all while social typically absorbs only about 15% of the marketing budget.
06 · Category
Audience Reach2 stats
01
81% of U.S. adults say they use the internet, and 62% of U.S. adults use online search. This underlines search as a critical discovery and marketing channel for restaurants and food brands.
02
34% of U.S. consumers who used a mobile device for local search called a business or used a click-to-call action (2018 survey findings). This shows direct-response potential from mobile local discovery.
Interpretation
Audience Reach Interpretation
With 62% of U.S. adults using online search and 34% of mobile users taking action after local searches, audience reach for culinary brands is increasingly won by being easy to find online and ready to convert on mobile.
07 · Category
Market Economics3 stats
01
U.S. food service sales totaled about $997.7 billion in 2023 (U.S. Census Bureau’s Monthly Retail Trade and Food Services measures; annual totals for food services and drinking places). This provides the scale of the industry where marketing generates demand.
02
Average U.S. restaurant prices for meals and beverages increased 6.0% in 2022 (BLS CPI-U for food away from home). This affects marketing messaging around value and pricing.
03
In 2024, U.S. ad spend reached $264.1 billion (estimated by GroupM/GBR). This frames the competitive marketing environment for culinary advertisers.
Interpretation
Market Economics Interpretation
In Market Economics terms, the U.S. food service market’s $997.7 billion in 2023 spending combined with a 6.0% 2022 rise in meal and beverage prices and $264.1 billion in 2024 ad spend signals a financially large and price-inflated industry where culinary marketers must compete intensely to capture demand.
report visual · Breakdown
Food & Beverage Marketing Demand: Scale + Local Action
The industry is expanding—while local discovery and social channels drive fast, measurable customer actions.
85%
85% of consumers use online reviews as much as personal recommendations (BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey 2023 s
15%
15% typical share of marketing budget allocated to social media (Sprout Social marketing budget allocation benchmark)
source-verifiedbrightlocal.com · sproutsocial.com2023
Reference
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APA
Daniel Varga. (2026, February 13). Marketing In The Culinary Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/marketing-in-the-culinary-industry-statistics
MLA
Daniel Varga. "Marketing In The Culinary Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/marketing-in-the-culinary-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Daniel Varga. 2026. "Marketing In The Culinary Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/marketing-in-the-culinary-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
22 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+6 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)