What Does It Really Cost to Run a Restaurant?

In the United States, there are more than a million, according to the National Restaurant Association; together, they provide 15.6 million jobs. The number of those that are considered middle-class—which pay between $45,000 and $75,000 a year—has grown 84% between 2010 and 2018, a rate three times higher than the overall economy. In other parts of ... See more

Here’s how they do it: wages + taxes + benefits + overhead. So, if an employee is paid, let’s say, $12.00 an hour, taxes and Social Security and workers’ comp and so on add, say, 30%, that puts us at $15.60 an hour. Then add the health care plan, the 401(k) matching contributions, the Christmas bonus, etc.—let’s say that calculates out to another $

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Publicly surfacing salaries and operating costs would foster a new level of accountability on the part of restaurant owners, leading to a more stable footing for restaurants and ultimately creating a better working environment for staff.