In a typical 12 months, 3 out of each 10 {dollars} spent at U.S. eating places comes from vacationers and guests, in line with Nationwide Restaurant Affiliation analysis. Whereas this varies considerably by section and area of the nation, nearly all eating places derive at the least a few of their gross sales from clients who dwell exterior of their space.
The reliance on tourism is highest within the high-quality eating section, with a mean of 41% of gross sales coming from vacationers and guests. For some high-quality eating eating places, it’s a considerably bigger proportion: 1 in 4 high-quality eating operators say guests account for at the least 60% of their annual gross sales.
Within the household eating, informal eating and coffee-and-snack segments, roughly one-third of gross sales come from vacationers and guests. Vacationers and guests account for 1 in 4 {dollars} spent within the quickservice and quick informal segments.
A majority of restaurant operators say total enterprise circumstances deteriorated in 2025, which marks a major setback from the business’s pandemic restoration. Buyer site visitors declined for almost two-thirds of eating places in 2025, whereas elevated prices continued to emphasize the underside line.
Exacerbating the challenges was a decline in journey and tourism gross sales. 47% of operators say their gross sales from vacationers and guests in 2025 are decrease than they’d usually be in a typical 12 months. Solely 8% of operators say their tourism-related gross sales are greater, whereas 45% say they’re about the identical as regular.
A rebound in spending by vacationers and guests would offer a much-needed enhance to the enterprise setting for eating places because the calendar flips to 2026.
