The restaurant industry is constantly changing and evolving. To keep up with this fast-paced environment, you need to be aware of how the industry looks now and how it will look in the future.

Below, we’ve prepared more than 30 restaurant industry statistics, covering everything from market size to revenue, technology, marketing, and more.

Restaurants in Numbers: A Quick Overview of Restaurants in the US

restaurant industry growth rate

A quick restaurant industry analysis shows us the current state of the industry and its outlook:

  • As of 2024, there were more than one million restaurants in the US;
  • 70% of US restaurants are single-unit;
  • 9/10 US restaurants are small businesses that employ fewer than 50 staff members;
  • As of January 2024, there were over 130,000 chain restaurants in the US;
  • In 2025, the restaurant industry is expected to add about 200,000 new jobs, which would bring the total workforce to 15.9 million employees.

Restaurant Market Size: Projected Growth for 2025

The restaurant industry is expected to reach $1.5 trillion in sales in 2025.

Restaurant Delivery Market Size: Projected Growth for 2025

Revenue in the online food delivery market is projected to reach US$429.95bn in 2025, with an annual growth rate of 6.99%.

The proposed GloriaFood POS solution: Forget about third-party delivery apps that can eat into your profits by 30%. With a fast delivery setup, GloriaFood’s in-house online ordering system is entirely free, so you can start accepting orders by tonight.

Restaurant Annual Revenue Statistics

restaurant industry market size

Check out these restaurant revenue statistics to get an idea of what you should expect as a restaurant owner.

US restaurant sales were 96.7 billion in November 2024

Is the restaurant industry growing? Yes. 2024 sales are 1.9% higher than in November 2023, which shows steady growth for the restaurant industry.

The average profit margin for a full-service restaurant is between 3-5%

The profit margin is higher for fast casual restaurants (6-9%).

The proposed GloriaFood POS solution: Streamline operations, slash customer wait times, and boost your profit margin with a state-of-the-art POS system. GloriaFood POS is designed for both table service restaurants and quick service ones.

On average, restaurant owners can earn between $30,000 and $155,000 a year

Restaurant revenue data is, of course, dependent on factors such as restaurant type, size, location, and more. (Source)

Restaurant Technology Landscape

76% of restaurant operators believe technology provides a competitive edge

Beyond these 76%, there are other reasons why restaurants want to deploy technology, according to a Hospitality Technology study:

  • 59% want to improve the digital customer experience;
  • 56% want to use technology to support revenue-generating opportunities;
  • 44% want to improve business analytics using restaurant tech.

Did you know that a restaurant POS system can help you gather valuable analytics that can shape a bright future for your business?

Look for a POS with built-in restaurant analytics, such as the GloriaFood POS. Use these valuable POS reports to:

  • Track sales;
  • Identify patterns and trends;
  • Optimize the menu;
  • Simplify inventory management;

Restaurant POS system with built-in business analytics

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38% of restaurants have implemented a POS that can handle both in-store and online orders

According to a Toshiba study, while 57% of restaurants have the capability of managing multiple order types, only 38% can do so via their POS.

The proposed GloriaFood POS solution: A POS system with built-in online ordering so you can manage both in-store and online orders with the same tool.

Here’s how the online ordering flow works using GloriaFood POS, from the moment the customer places an order to when the kitchen receives it:

restaurant technology industry

85% of restaurant owners offer contactless payment options

You can enable customers to pay online by card or digital wallets when placing orders in-store and for pickup/delivery.

The proposed GloriaFood POS solution:

  • For in-store orders: A digital QR code menu ordering solution that enables your customers to place orders and pay directly from their smartphones.
technology in food service industry
  • For online orders: Enable online payments for delivery and pickup orders placed online.

Pro tip: By activating online payments with GloriaFood, you also unlock digital tipping for card payments. This can help you boost tips, as 65% of customers tip at least 11% more digitally.

restaurant industry financial statistics

Enable contactless ordering & payment for on-premise & off-premise orders

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46% of restaurants want to add more off-premise options, like takeout and delivery

Additionally, 43% of full-service restaurants say that off-premise services now account for more business than they did 5 years ago, showing the steady growth of online ordering.

The proposed GloriaFood POS solution: Expand your business online for free with the GloriaFood ordering system.

You can start accepting takeout and delivery orders by tonight by following these simple steps:

food service industry trends

82% of restaurants in the US use social media for marketing

With so many customers getting their information from social media, it’s no surprise that 82% of restaurants and other hospitality businesses are active there.

The proposed GloriaFood solution: Post the smartlink we provide in the About section of your social media profiles so customers can order instantly without having to go looking for your website. Here’s how it works for Facebook:

57% of all full-service restaurants in the US offer outdoor dining

Similarly, 53% of limited-service restaurants also offer on-premise outdoor dining.

More than half of the top 100 restaurants on Yelp now offer vegan options

Restaurants are diversifying their menus to cater to more diets and culinary preferences, as shown by Yelp’s top 100 restaurants in the US.

The proposed GloriaFood POS solution: An intuitive menu editor that enables you to add multiple menu categories and items, as well as dish customization options (i.e., crust, toppings, sauces, etc.).

You can also customize your dishes with allergens and nutritional information to keep customers informed.

70% of restaurants claim sustainability is a priority

However, only 41% of those are actively running a sustainable restaurant.

The need for a more sustainable restaurant comes as a direct result of the customer’s desire for more environmentally conscious restaurants.

Read more: What customers expect from a restaurant & other interesting statistics

The Main Challenges Facing Restaurants in 2025

global restaurant industry statistics

51% of restaurants said labor costs increased by up to 5%

Furthermore, 41% saw an increase of up to 14%, while the rest 8% noted a staggering increase of more than 15%.

51% of restaurants said food costs increased by up to 5%

Similarly, 37% of them saw an increase of up to 14%, while 10% noted that the increase reached more than 15%.

The proposed GloriaFood POS solution: Lower food costs by carefully tracking food quantities to ensure you don’t waste anything and that you always reorder ingredients on time.

With GloriaFood POS, you can easily track stock levels by setting a quantity for each menu item and updating it along the way, like this:

us restaurant industry

Whenever you set the quantity as 0 on the POS, the item will automatically be marked as out-of-stock on your digital menu, so customers don’t order it and end up disappointed.

technological factors affecting restaurants

31.86% of restaurants named recruiting and retaining staff as one of their main challenges

Finding and keeping restaurant staff has always been challenging, due to the fast-paced nature of the industry. The trend seems to be continuing in 2025, with 28.42% of restaurants expecting this to continue to be a challenge.

Restaurant Industry Statistics: What the Future Holds

restaurant industry statistics worldwide

47% of restaurants plan to offer more discounts, deals, or promotions to drive traffic

The focus seems to be on in-store traffic, with 87% of casual dining restaurants saying on-premise is pivotal to their success.

The proposed GloriaFood POS solution: Create any kind of promotion you can think of in minutes. Choose from the 13 pre-made templates in our Promo Module or create your own promo logic:

63% of restaurants plan to invest in digital or location-based marketing

When it comes to promoting their business, most operators agree on a mix between digital and traditional marketing strategies.

34% of restaurants will invest in developing smartphone apps

Paying a developer to create a white-label app from scratch can be costly. If you own a small mom-and-pop restaurant, you probably can’t afford that.

The proposed GloriaFood solution: You can get your own branded restaurant app with built-in online ordering for only $59/month.

Personalized with your logo, branding & tagline, customers can download the app on their Apple or Android smartphones. That way, your brand stays top-of-mind, and you can increase repeat orders from loyal customers.

Here’s a sneak peek of what your app could look like and how easy it is for customers to order and pay on it:

technology trends in restaurants

80% of restaurants plan to upgrade their POS system or buy a new one in 2025

According to a Hospitality Technology study, most operators aren’t entirely happy with their current POS system. Does that sound like you?

The proposed GloriaFood POS solution:

  • Simple payment processing;
  • Intuitive menu editor;
  • Simple printer management;
  • Built-in staff management features;
  • Valuable POS reports & analytics;
  • Free built-in online ordering;
  • and more.

Learn more: Your Complete Restaurant POS Guide: How to Choose the Best Option for You

Is your current POS system not satisfying your needs?

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That’s a Wrap

As a restaurateur, keeping your pulse on the restaurant industry is vital for the longevity of your business. The restaurant industry statistics we’ve compiled show that as they look to the future, restaurants rely more and more on technology to streamline operations and boost profits.

Want to be part of the restaurant revolution? Sign up to GloriaFood to discover all the tools and features that you can benefit from.

About the author
Laura-Andreea Voicu
Laura-Andreea Voicu
Online Marketing Specialist

Laura helps restaurants and other food businesses grow their online presence and increase sales using innovative restaurant technology and marketing.

Her guides have been featured on the Oracle Food and Beverage Blog, Quickbooks, Clutch, Sender, Venngage, and many others.

You can get in touch with her on LinkedIn.

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