From a $450 million speakeasy scene to the 450 million delivery app orders that keep the city fed, New York City's food and beverage industry is a $45.6 billion economic engine that serves far more than just meals.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, the New York City food and beverage industry generated $45.6 billion in total sales revenue, representing 4.2% of the city's overall GDP
- The sector's economic output reached $28.4 billion in 2023, up 7.8% from 2022 due to post-pandemic recovery
- Foodservice sales in NYC totaled $32.1 billion in 2021, with a projected CAGR of 5.2% through 2026
- New York City food and beverage industry employed 512,000 workers in 2023, representing 12% of total city employment
- Average hourly wage in NYC F&B sector was $18.45 in 2022, up 6.2% from prior year
- Restaurants employed 320,000 people in NYC as of 2023, with 45% part-time roles
- NYC had 28,450 eating and drinking establishments licensed in 2023
- Full-service restaurants numbered 12,670 in NYC as of 2022
- Bars and taverns totaled 3,820 operating in 2023 NYC
- NYC consumers spent $16.2 billion on dining out in 2023, avg $450 per capita annually
- Alcohol beverage consumption averaged 2.8 drinks per week per adult in NYC 2022
- Plant-based food purchases rose 28% to $1.1 billion in 2023 NYC sales
- NYC F&B production output was 2.4 million tons of food processed in 2022
- 1,250 tons of craft spirits distilled in NYC facilities in 2023
- Food imports through NYC ports: 4.8 million tons valued at $18.2B in 2022
New York City's food and beverage industry generates massive sales and supports countless jobs.
Consumer Spending and Trends
- NYC consumers spent $16.2 billion on dining out in 2023, avg $450 per capita annually
- Alcohol beverage consumption averaged 2.8 drinks per week per adult in NYC 2022
- Plant-based food purchases rose 28% to $1.1 billion in 2023 NYC sales
- Delivery app orders hit 450 million annually in NYC 2022, avg spend $28/order
- Craft beer market share reached 24% of total beer sales in 2023 NYC
- Sustainable packaging preference: 67% of consumers in 2022 survey
- Low/no-alc beverages sales up 31% to $450 million in 2023
- Ethnic cuisine spending: 42% of total F&B budget in 2022
- Average check size at full-service restaurants: $45.20 in 2023 NYC
- Home meal replacement sales: $3.4 billion in grocery F&B 2022
- Frequency of eating out: 4.2 times/week per household in 2023
- Premium coffee spend avg $5.80 per visit, 210 million visits in 2022
- Wine consumption per capita: 12.5 bottles annually in NYC 2023
- Health-focused menu items ordered 38% more in 2022 apps
- Holiday F&B spending peaked at $2.1 billion in Dec 2023
- Loyalty program redemptions: $890 million value in 2022 NYC F&B
- Impulse buys at checkout: 22% of grocery F&B sales $780M in 2023
- Generational spend: Gen Z 25% of total at $4.5B in 2022
- Outdoor dining preference post-COVID: 58% in 2023 surveys
- Cocktail trend: Negroni sales up 45% to 1.2M units in 2022 bars
- Zero-waste dining visits: 15% market penetration in 2023
- Per capita soft drink consumption: 48 gallons/year in NYC 2022
Consumer Spending and Trends Interpretation
New Yorkers are dining out with both gusto and a guilty conscience, ordering plant-based delivery with their Negronis while wondering if that sustainable to-go box will offset the 48 gallons of soda they'll drink this year.
Employment and Labor
- New York City food and beverage industry employed 512,000 workers in 2023, representing 12% of total city employment
- Average hourly wage in NYC F&B sector was $18.45 in 2022, up 6.2% from prior year
- Restaurants employed 320,000 people in NYC as of 2023, with 45% part-time roles
- Beverage manufacturing jobs totaled 15,200 in 2022, growing 4.1% YoY
- 68% of F&B workers in NYC were immigrants in 2023 survey data
- Food delivery gig workers numbered 78,000 in NYC in 2022, earning avg $22/hr
- Bartenders and servers held 112,000 positions in 2023, with turnover rate of 72%
- Supermarket and grocery staff reached 145,000 employees in NYC 2022
- Women comprised 52% of F&B workforce in NYC in 2023, earning 88% of male wages
- Culinary training programs graduated 8,200 workers annually into NYC F&B in 2022
- Labor shortage affected 65% of NYC restaurants, with 25,000 unfilled jobs in 2023
- Unionized F&B workers numbered 92,000 in NYC as of 2022
- Average tenure for F&B employees in NYC was 2.1 years in 2023
- Disabled workers represented 4.2% of F&B employment in 2022 NYC data
- Overtime hours in F&B averaged 450 per worker annually in 2023
- Youth employment (16-24) in sector was 98,000 in NYC 2022
- Benefits coverage reached only 38% of F&B workers in 2023 survey
- Chef and manager roles totaled 42,000 with avg salary $68,900 in 2022
- Remote/hybrid F&B admin jobs grew to 12,500 in 2023
- Injury rate in F&B was 4.8 per 100 workers in NYC 2022
- Veteran employment in sector stood at 18,400 in 2023
- Seasonal hires peaked at 35,000 during summer 2022 in NYC F&B
- Diversity training covered 56% of workforce in 2023 initiatives
- Entry-level pay averaged $16.20/hr for bussers in 2022 NYC
- F&B workforce aged 25-34 comprised 41% or 210,000 workers in 2023
- Training hours per employee averaged 24 annually in 2022
Employment and Labor Interpretation
New York’s food and beverage industry runs on a precarious but persistent engine of hopeful immigrants, underpaid part-timers, and remarkably resilient bartenders, all collectively fueling the city’s appetite while juggling high turnover, low benefits, and the faint hope of a better hourly wage.
Market Size and Revenue
- In 2022, the New York City food and beverage industry generated $45.6 billion in total sales revenue, representing 4.2% of the city's overall GDP
- The sector's economic output reached $28.4 billion in 2023, up 7.8% from 2022 due to post-pandemic recovery
- Foodservice sales in NYC totaled $32.1 billion in 2021, with a projected CAGR of 5.2% through 2026
- Beverage alcohol sales contributed $12.7 billion to NYC's economy in 2022, accounting for 28% of total F&B revenue
- The industry's direct and indirect economic impact supported $18.9 billion in GDP contributions in 2023
- NYC's F&B export value hit $1.2 billion in 2022, primarily craft beers and spirits
- Total payroll in the sector was $15.3 billion in 2022, with average wages at $52,400 annually
- Tourism-driven F&B spending reached $9.8 billion in 2023, up 12% YoY
- Grocery and beverage retail sales in NYC amounted to $22.4 billion in 2022
- Craft beverage production added $2.1 billion to local revenue in 2023
- Full-service restaurants generated $18.7 billion in 2022 sales
- Quick-service F&B outlets contributed $10.2 billion in 2023
- The sector's multiplier effect generated $1.50 in additional economic activity per $1 spent in 2022
- NYC F&B taxes generated $3.4 billion in revenue for the city in 2023
- Wholesale food and beverage distribution reached $14.6 billion in 2022
- Independent F&B businesses accounted for 65% of $29.8 billion total sales in 2023
- Fine dining segment revenue grew 9.1% to $4.5 billion in 2023
- Delivery and takeout sales surged to $11.2 billion in 2022, representing 35% of total F&B sales
- NYC's F&B industry attracted $1.8 billion in venture capital in 2023 for tech integrations
- Hotel F&B operations generated $3.9 billion in 2023 revenue
- Street food vending contributed $450 million annually to NYC economy in 2022
- Organic food and beverage sales hit $2.7 billion in NYC supermarkets in 2023
- The industry's total assets were valued at $56.2 billion as of 2022 end
- Event catering services generated $1.6 billion in 2023
- NYC F&B R&D spending reached $890 million in 2022
- Bottled water and non-alc beverages sold for $1.4 billion in 2023
- The sector supported 12% of NYC's total private sector output at $34.1 billion in 2022
- Luxury beverage imports valued at $780 million entered NYC ports in 2023
- F&B e-commerce sales grew to $4.2 billion in 2022
- Institutional foodservice (schools, hospitals) accounted for $5.8 billion in 2023
Market Size and Revenue Interpretation
Despite powering the city with billions in revenue and sustaining a small nation's worth of jobs, New York's food and beverage industry still answers to the ultimate boss: the person who just wants a decent slice and a coffee without being asked to tip 30% on a tablet.
Number of Establishments
- NYC had 28,450 eating and drinking establishments licensed in 2023
- Full-service restaurants numbered 12,670 in NYC as of 2022
- Bars and taverns totaled 3,820 operating in 2023 NYC
- Quick-service outlets reached 7,450 in 2022 citywide
- Grocery stores with F&B sections: 4,210 in NYC 2023
- Craft breweries licensed: 156 in NYC metro 2022
- Distilleries operational: 128 in 2023 New York State with 45 in NYC
- Food trucks permitted: 3,200 active in 2022 NYC streets
- Wineries and vineyards supplying NYC: 320 statewide with 12 urban in 2023
- Cafes and coffee shops: 5,670 locations in 2022
- Fine dining spots: 1,280 Michelin-recognized or equivalent in 2023
- Hotel restaurants and bars: 1,450 in 890 hotels 2022
- Ethnic restaurants: 9,800 representing 150 cuisines in NYC 2023
- Pop-up F&B venues averaged 450 annually in 2022
- Farmers markets with F&B: 140 operating weekly in 2023 season
- Juice bars and smoothie shops: 890 in NYC 2022
- Whiskey bars specialized: 210 in Manhattan alone 2023
- Vegan/vegetarian outlets: 1,620 dedicated in 2022 NYC
- Brewery taprooms: 89 public-facing in 2023
- Rooftop bars and lounges: 340 licensed in 2022
- Institutional kitchens (schools/hospitals): 2,100 serving F&B in NYC 2023
- Nightclubs with F&B service: 450 in 2022 NYC nightlife districts
- Bodegas and delis: 12,300 convenience F&B spots in 2023
- Speakeasies and hidden bars: 180 discovered in 2022 guides
- Food halls and markets: 28 major ones housing 1,200 vendors in 2023
Number of Establishments Interpretation
With over 28,000 licenses, New York's food and beverage scene is a sprawling ecosystem where you're statistically closer to a bodega than a quiet moment, proving the city's true religion is the relentless, delicious pursuit of something to eat or drink.
Production Import and Regulation
- NYC F&B production output was 2.4 million tons of food processed in 2022
- 1,250 tons of craft spirits distilled in NYC facilities in 2023
- Food imports through NYC ports: 4.8 million tons valued at $18.2B in 2022
- Brewery production: 450,000 barrels of beer in NYC metro 2023
- Organic produce supplied locally: 28% of NYC market from 120 farms in 2022
- Waste generation: F&B sector produced 1.2 million tons of organics in 2023 NYC
- 85% of NYC restaurants complied with sodium regulation limits in 2022 audits
- Supply chain disruptions affected 42% of F&B imports in 2023
- Local sourcing: 35% of ingredients from NY State farms in 2022 survey
- Packaging regulations: 92% biodegradable compliance in 2023 F&B outlets
- Seafood imports: 320,000 tons landed in NYC 2022 sustainably sourced
- Energy use per F&B establishment avg 45,000 kWh/year in 2023
- Water consumption: 12 million gallons daily by F&B in NYC 2022
- Health inspections passed: 78% first-time rate for 25,000 F&B spots 2023
- CO2 emissions from F&B supply chain: 2.1 million metric tons in 2022
- Minority-owned suppliers: 28% of F&B procurement $4.2B in 2023
- Vaccine compliance: 97% of F&B workers mandated in 2022 NYC
- Cold chain logistics trucks: 8,200 serving NYC F&B daily 2023
- Pesticide residue violations: 3.2% of imported produce in 2022 tests
- Distillery output regulations capped at 100,000 proof gallons per license 2023
Production Import and Regulation Interpretation
New York’s food and beverage industry is a titanically efficient, slightly salty, and increasingly green machine, processing millions of tons, sourcing locally by the barrel, and cleaning its plate with remarkable—if imperfect—vigor.
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