Restaurant delivery service prices rose 8.0% in 2023 as overall restaurant operating costs increased 2.9% year over year by Q2 2024. At the same time, U.S. restaurant digital sales reached $99.5 billion in 2023, and mobile ordering accounted for 15.2% of all restaurant transactions. Together, the data shows pricing pressure and off-premise demand rising on different schedules.
Key Takeaways
- $99.5 billion U.S. restaurant digital sales in 2023 (online ordering, delivery, and pickup), reflecting consumer shift toward digital channels
- $42.1 billion U.S. restaurant delivery spending in 2023 (projection), showing continuing demand for off-premise delivery
- 15.2% of restaurant transactions were generated through mobile ordering in 2023 (operator/customer channel mix)
- 22,000+ U.S. restaurant chains with 20+ locations exist in 2023 (technomic/operator directory estimate)
- $246.2 billion U.S. restaurant industry value added in 2022 (BEA, Food Services and Drinking Places)
- $1.0 trillion U.S. food services and drinking places output in 2022 (BEA, industry value in current dollars)
- $19.7 billion U.S. restaurant wage bill in 2023, from Bureau of Labor Statistics earnings for food services
- $74.6 billion U.S. restaurant industry payroll in 2023 (estimated from BLS average employment and wages)
- $16.55 median hourly wage for waiters and waitresses in 2023 (BLS OEWS, national)
- 8.0% increase in restaurant delivery service prices in 2023 (BLS relative series for delivery)
- 4.2% year-over-year increase in CPI for food away from home in March 2024 (BLS)
- 18% of restaurants increased use of third-party delivery platforms in 2023 due to customer demand (operator survey)
- 30% average labor cost percentage (wages + benefits) for U.S. restaurants in 2023 (industry benchmark)
- 2.8% year-over-year increase in U.S. restaurant input costs in 2023 (producer-price or input-cost proxy series), indicating input inflation persistence
- 6.2% annual increase in commercial electricity prices used by foodservice establishments in 2023 (state/federal price series), quantifying utility cost pressure
Digital ordering and delivery keep expanding, even as labor and other operating costs rise for U.S. restaurants.
Related reading
01 · Category
Digital Adoption3 stats
01
$99.5 billion U.S. restaurant digital sales in 2023 (online ordering, delivery, and pickup), reflecting consumer shift toward digital channels
02
$42.1 billion U.S. restaurant delivery spending in 2023 (projection), showing continuing demand for off-premise delivery
03
15.2% of restaurant transactions were generated through mobile ordering in 2023 (operator/customer channel mix)
Interpretation
Digital Adoption Interpretation
In the U.S. restaurant industry under digital adoption, 2023 saw $99.5 billion in restaurant digital sales and 15.2% of transactions coming from mobile ordering, showing that consumers are steadily shifting toward digital channels for both ordering and off-premise delivery.
02 · Category
Market Size8 stats
01
22,000+ U.S. restaurant chains with 20+ locations exist in 2023 (technomic/operator directory estimate)
02
$246.2 billion U.S. restaurant industry value added in 2022 (BEA, Food Services and Drinking Places)
03
$1.0 trillion U.S. food services and drinking places output in 2022 (BEA, industry value in current dollars)
04
4.1% of U.S. GDP from food services and drinking places in 2022 (BEA industry share)
05
1.0 million+ business establishments classified as food services and drinking places (NAICS 722) in 2022 (U.S. Census/CBP)
06
$9.0 billion U.S. restaurant POS market size in 2022 (industry research estimate)
07
18,000+ restaurant franchise units in the U.S. in 2023 for leading quick service brands (franchise disclosures)
08
4.5% of U.S. consumers reporting restaurant dining as the top away-from-home expense in 2024 (among tracked categories), showing restaurants’ share of discretionary spending
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
The U.S. restaurant market is massive and still growing in economic weight with $1.0 trillion in 2022 output and 4.1% of GDP coming from food services and drinking places, underlining why the category “Market Size” represents a core, high-volume opportunity.
03 · Category
Employment To Costs7 stats
01
$19.7 billion U.S. restaurant wage bill in 2023, from Bureau of Labor Statistics earnings for food services
02
$74.6 billion U.S. restaurant industry payroll in 2023 (estimated from BLS average employment and wages)
03
$16.55median hourly wage for waiters and waitresses in 2023 (BLS OEWS, national)
04
$15.77median hourly wage for fast food and counter workers in 2023 (BLS OEWS, national)
05
$18.50median hourly wage for cooks in 2023 (BLS OEWS, national)
06
2.9% year-over-year increase in restaurant operating costs in Q2 2024 (proxy industry cost index)
07
3.0 million U.S. workers in restaurants in 2023 (BLS employment for NAICS 722)
Interpretation
Employment To Costs Interpretation
In the U.S. restaurant industry, labor costs remain a major component of expenses, with a 2023 wage bill of $19.7 billion and a 2.9% year-over-year rise in operating costs in Q2 2024, while median hourly pay stays relatively clustered around $16 to $19.7 per role (waiters $16.55, fast food $15.77, cooks $18.50), reinforcing the Employment To Costs link between staffing pay levels and overall cost pressures.
04 · Category
Industry Trends4 stats
01
8.0% increase in restaurant delivery service prices in 2023 (BLS relative series for delivery)
02
4.2% year-over-year increase in CPI for food away from home in March 2024 (BLS)
03
18% of restaurants increased use of third-party delivery platforms in 2023 due to customer demand (operator survey)
04
61% of consumers used delivery at least once in the past month in a 2023 survey (NRA/industry)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
As industry trends in U.S. restaurants show, delivery remains a major demand driver, with delivery prices rising 8.0% in 2023 and 18% of restaurants adding third party platforms in response to customer demand while 61% of consumers used delivery at least once in the past month.
05 · Category
Cost Analysis3 stats
01
30% average labor cost percentage (wages + benefits) for U.S. restaurants in 2023 (industry benchmark)
02
2.8% year-over-year increase in U.S. restaurant input costs in 2023 (producer-price or input-cost proxy series), indicating input inflation persistence
03
6.2% annual increase in commercial electricity prices used by foodservice establishments in 2023 (state/federal price series), quantifying utility cost pressure
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
In 2023, U.S. restaurants faced cost pressure from multiple angles as labor alone averaged 30% of sales, input costs rose 2.8% year over year, and commercial electricity prices climbed 6.2%, making the cost analysis case for tighter cost control especially urgent.
More related reading
06 · Category
Consumer Behavior1 stats
01
27.5% of U.S. adults reported visiting a full-service restaurant in the past week (2023)
Interpretation
Consumer Behavior Interpretation
In 2023, 27.5% of U.S. adults visited a full-service restaurant in the past week, showing that even with changing consumer habits, a sizable share of people still regularly choose sit down dining.
07 · Category
Labor & Costs2 stats
01
5.2% year-over-year increase in restaurant average hourly earnings for food services in 2023
02
3.1% year-over-year increase in U.S. CPI for food away from home in 2023
Interpretation
Labor & Costs Interpretation
In 2023, labor costs for U.S. restaurants rose as average hourly earnings in food services increased 5.2% year over year, outpacing the 3.1% year-over-year rise in the CPI for food away from home and underscoring that wages are a key driver in the industry’s cost pressures.
08 · Category
Workforce Metrics3 stats
01
7.2% of restaurant workers in 2023 were employed in “Management Occupations” (share by occupation group), reflecting the management-heavy operational structure
02
13.0% of workers in food services and drinking places reported working part-time as their primary schedule in 2023 (BLS CPS-derived measure), indicating staffing flexibility
03
10.8% worker turnover rate in food services was observed in 2023 (job separations relative to employment, measured in BLS JOLTS), illustrating churn in staffing
Interpretation
Workforce Metrics Interpretation
In 2023, the restaurant workforce was shaped by a heavy management share and high instability, with 7.2% of workers in management roles, 13.0% working part time as their primary schedule, and a 10.8% food services worker turnover rate.
09 · Category
Operational Performance2 stats
01
1.5% average weekly shrink (loss from inventory) in quick-service restaurants in 2022 (retail shrink benchmark), showing inventory control intensity
02
8.4% of restaurant customers reported that they used loyalty programs in the past 6 months in 2023 (share of respondents), indicating retention tooling usage
Interpretation
Operational Performance Interpretation
In 2022, quick-service restaurants saw an average weekly shrink of 1.5%, and by 2023, 8.4% of restaurant customers reported using loyalty programs in the past 6 months, showing that strong operational control of inventory can help support customer retention efforts.
report visual · Comparison
U.S. restaurant industry scale and demand (selected metrics)
Restaurants are generating substantial revenue, with growth fueled by delivery and digital channels.
$246.2 billion U.S. restaurant industry value added in 2022 (BEA, Food Services and Drinking Places)$246.2 billion
$99.5 billion U.S. restaurant digital sales in 2023 (online ordering, delivery, and pickup), reflecting consumer shift t
$99.5 billion
$42.1 billion U.S. restaurant delivery spending in 2023 (projection), showing continuing demand for off-premise delivery
$42.1 billion
15.2% of restaurant transactions were generated through mobile ordering in 2023 (operator/customer channel mix)
15.2%
source-verifiedrestaurantdive.com · statista.com · 7shifts.com · apps.bea.gov2023
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Julian Richter. (2026, February 13). U.S. Restaurant Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/u-s-restaurant-industry-statistics
MLA
Julian Richter. "U.S. Restaurant Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/u-s-restaurant-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Julian Richter. 2026. "U.S. Restaurant Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/u-s-restaurant-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
33 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+18 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)