US restaurant industry projected to reach $1.55 trillion in 2026 sales

The National Restaurant Association projected US restaurant industry sales to reach $1.55 trillion in 2026, a 4.8% increase over 2025, according to its State of the Restaurant Industry 2026 report released that February. The report described the industry’s overall outlook as cautiously strong despite mounting cost pressures the year before.

In 2025, 82% of restaurant operators reported higher average food costs, and a meaningful share of operators said their locations weren’t profitable that year, with tariffs on imported food cited as an added pressure heading into 2026. Off-premises sales, takeout and delivery combined, continued growing as a share of total restaurant business, a trend the association’s economists linked directly to operators’ broader push to get customers back through the front door even as convenience-focused ordering kept expanding.