US Restaurants Outsell Grocery Stores. But Americans Still Spend More on Groceries

Key facts

• US restaurants and bars sold $807.3 billion in January to September 2026, more than grocery stores ($683.4 billion) and more than all food and beverage stores ($751.7 billion).
• Restaurant sales grew 4.4%, grocery store sales 1.0%.
• But households still spend more on groceries: $6,491 a year on food at home against $4,142 on eating out (2025), so 61% of household food spending goes on groceries.
• The difference: many groceries are bought at supercenters and warehouse clubs, which the Census Bureau counts separately, and restaurant sales include business and visitor spending.

The restaurants vs grocery stores comparison is one of the most quoted statistics about American life, and one of the most misunderstood. Census Bureau data shows US restaurants and bars outselling grocery stores. But that does not mean Americans spend more eating out than on groceries: by their own accounts, they still spend far more on food at home.

Published November 2026. Sales: US Census Bureau, Advance Monthly Sales for Retail and Food Services, September 2026 (January to September totals not seasonally adjusted; not adjusted for prices; businesses with paid employees). Household spending: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2025.

What the sales data shows

Restaurants and bars were ahead in 2025 too: applying the growth rates, about $773.2 billion against $676.7 billion for grocery stores in the same months.

What households say they spend

Why both are true

1. "Grocery stores" is a narrow category. The Census Bureau’s grocery stores (supermarkets and food stores) exclude supercenters and warehouse clubs, where Americans buy a large share of their groceries. Those are counted as general merchandise stores, together with non-food goods.
2. Restaurant sales are not only household spending. They include business meals, travellers and tourists, and spending by people from abroad.
3. The household survey counts food by type, wherever it is bought. It records what households spend on food at home and eating out, regardless of the kind of store.

What it means

• For restaurants: eating out is growing faster than grocery spending, and its share of household food budgets has held near 39% since 2022.
• For grocers: the competition is not only restaurants but supercenters, warehouse clubs and online sellers.
• For anyone quoting "Americans spend more at restaurants": say "restaurants outsell grocery stores", which is accurate; households still spend more on groceries.

Explore the data

• Restaurant and bar sales and US retail sales by store type
• Restaurant industry statistics

Questions

Do Americans spend more at restaurants than grocery stores?
Restaurants and bars outsell grocery stores ($807.3 billion against $683.4 billion in January to September 2026), but households still spend more on food at home overall ($6,491 against $4,142 a year).

Why do households spend more on groceries if restaurants outsell grocery stores?
Because many groceries are bought at supercenters and warehouse clubs, which are not counted as grocery stores, and because restaurant sales include business and visitor spending.

Sources

• US Census Bureau, Advance Monthly Sales for Retail and Food Services, September 2026 (15 October 2026), tables 1 and 2.
• US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Survey 2021 to 2025.

See our methodology. Cite as: Advanton (2026), "US Restaurants Outsell Grocery Stores. But Americans Still Spend More on Groceries".

Last reviewed November 13, 2026. Startup costs are estimates; check local prices, licensing and tax rules before you commit money.