Restaurants have long been popular, as people simply love to eat. Eating is more than just gaining sustenance for our bodies, though this is, of course, certainly an important component of it. But eating is more than that. It’s an activity to be enjoyed. It’s a way to socialize with our friends, family, and loved ones. On top of all this, it’s a way to bond, to relax after a long day, and to try new things and connect with new identities and cultures. Food is important. Food is cultural. Food is part of how we communicate. And because of this, many restaurants of various origins and cuisines have long thrived in the melting pot that is the United States. After all, diversity in food is just another way that cultural differences can, in some cases and to an extent, be overcome.
From your neighborhood sports bar to the best burger place in town, chances are that you’ve got a favorite restaurant – or maybe even more than one and have a number of favorite restaurants. Restaurants vary in size, cuisine, and atmosphere but all together have created a place for each and every person in the United States. This can be seen in the success of all restaurants collectively, which brought in, in total, seven hundred and ninety ninety billion dollars by the end of the year of 2017 alone. In the ten years after that year (now nine years away from the current year), the restaurant industry in the United States is only projected to grow, and by the time that we reach the year of 2027, as many as one and a half new jobs will be created in the restaurant industry alone, with the need for more restaurant employees, from servers to chefs to busboys, growing exponentially. As the restaurant workforce already makes up as much as ten percent of the total workforce of the United States, this is nothing if not an impressive projection.
In part, this is simply because there are so many different restaurants, from chain restaurants to bars to local places, all throughout the entirety of the country of the United States. From the gourmet burger place to the sushi joint, even just one town or one neighborhood can hold a wide variety of different places to get a bite to eat, from the very casual to the sit down meal. In fact, it is estimated that there is now a total of one million restaurants in the United States. Among these places, very nearly fifteen million employees currently hold jobs in various positions and roles, from the busboy to the manager to the executive chef or line cook, depending on the type of restaurant itself. And the number of restaurants is only going to continue to grow in the years to come, especially as chain restaurants continue to gain in popularity and spread throughout the country. From the best restaurant cheeseburger to the best vegan salad, there are many specialties and culinary delights to be found even in your own neighborhood, and many people make the eateries that they frequent an important part of any vacation or trip that they take.
Bars are another important component of the restaurant industry that cannot be discounted, as many bars today now serve food, from small snacks to a full menu. Though much of bar revenue comes directly from the sale of liquor and other alcohols – with more than forty percent of total sales in the typical bar from the sale of beer alone – food can also be a key part of running a successful bar. The fact of the matter is this – people love to eat, and providing them with something to eat, even if it is just a very small something, can greatly enhance their overall experience and make them more likely to return for a repeat visit, often bringing along some friends with them and potentially helping to create even more loyal patrons of your establishment.
From the neighborhood bar to fancy dining, food matters, and the success of restaurants in the U.S. is testament to this.