Usually when we think of a restaurant “scene,” we think on the small scale—cities, or even neighborhoods. But that hyperfocus on the local level can leave out the broader culture of a state or region.
Escoffier conducted a study looking at statewide data in several categories to explore the restaurant culture of each state around the country.
We looked at data from the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Commerce, the National Restaurant Association, Georgia Tech, and other sources to reveal insights and draw conclusions.
But before we get into our findings and methodology, let’s look at some of the key takeaways. (Jump down to see our methodology)
U.S. State Culinary Scenes – Key Findings
- Hawaii has, by far, the best statewide restaurant scene, ranking at or near the top of five out of the seven categories we explored.
- Perhaps unexpectedly, Rhode Island ranked in the top ten overall, powered by high restaurant spending, a large percentage of independent restaurants, and strong employment numbers.
- Population size is clearly not everything; while several of the biggest states did crack the top ten, smaller states like Hawaii, Nevada, and Rhode Island also ranked highly, indicating that population size alone does not determine the vibrancy of a state’s restaurant scene.
The Top Ten U.S. States with the Best Restaurant Scenes
We looked at data from three broad categories to rank the restaurant scenes of all fifty states; those categories were:
- Economic data: We looked at restaurant spending as a percentage of overall food spending and at restaurant jobs as a percentage of total statewide jobs in order to capture the economic implications of each state’s restaurant sector.
- Restaurant data: We considered the population-adjusted restaurant density, the percentage of independently owned restaurants, and the tourist-to-restaurant ratio (described below) in order to measure the relative prevalence, type, and popularity of restaurants in each state.
- Contextual data: We also included supporting categories, including the number of Michelin-starred restaurants and the number of culinary schools in each state to provide additional context for each state’s restaurant culture.
Taking these seven categories into consideration, we determined the rankings for the fifty states. These were the top ten:
The Top Ten U.S. States with the Best Restaurant Scenes
| Rank | State | Relative Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | 100.00 |
| 2 | New York | 83.23 |
| 3 | Nevada | 82.57 |
| 4 | California | 75.01 |
| 5 | Florida | 72.14 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | 51.29 |
| 7 | Illinois | 48.33 |
| 8 | Texas | 46.25 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | 43.31 |
| 10 | New Jersey | 42.04 |
A few things immediately jump out from these results. For one thing, Hawaii is clearly far ahead of the rest of the pack, supported by its high rankings across most of the categories we considered.
While many of the high-ranking states are unsurprising, some—like Rhode Island—may seem unexpected. But keep in mind, we’re looking at each state’s overall restaurant culture. Some states with notable food cities—like Boulder, Colorado, or New Orleans, Louisiana—did not make the top ten, owing to the fact we’re looking at entire states, not just key cities. And, according to the data, these are the states that consistently rank highly in the categories we considered.
To put some real texture on our findings, let’s look at each of the categories we considered.
Restaurant Spending as a Percentage of Total Food Spending
One category we used to measure the size of each state’s restaurant scene was the percentage of residents’ overall food spending that goes toward restaurants specifically. The advantage of looking at this data point, as opposed to other economic indicators—like statewide restaurant sales or average order value—is that it takes into account differences in the cost of living from one state to the next, since it allows us to examine each state’s spending habits separately.
Top Five States with the Highest Restaurant Spending as a Percentage of Total Food Spending
| State | Restaurant Spending as % of Food Spending |
|---|---|
| Nevada | 43.81% |
| Hawaii | 43.54% |
| New York | 41.68% |
| Illinois | 41.20% |
| Massachusetts | 40.97% |
Escoffier’s analysis revealed that Nevada tops the list, with residents spending almost half of their food budgets (43.81%) on restaurant dining.
While a few of these high-ranking states (like Hawaii, New York, and Massachusetts) do have comparatively high cost of living according to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center, Nevada and Illinois rank closer to the middle of the pack—an indication that a high cost of living does not account for these results, and that they do in fact provide a snapshot of each state’s dining habits.
Restaurant Jobs as a Percentage of Total Jobs
We also explored the size of each state’s restaurant industry by examining National Restaurant Association (NRA) data on restaurant jobs as a percentage of each state’s total workforce, which revealed these results.
Top Five States for Restaurant Jobs as a Percentage of Total Jobs
| State | Restaurant Jobs as a Percentage of Total Jobs |
|---|---|
| Nevada | 15% |
| Hawaii | 14% |
| Rhode Island | 12% |
| South Carolina | 12% |
| Montana | 12% |
Nevada and Hawaii placed first and second in this category as well—likely owing to the two states’ large tourism industries.
While these five states did clearly rank ahead of the rest of the pack, it’s worth noting that restaurant jobs account for one in ten jobs nationwide, and in no state did restaurant jobs account for fewer than 9% of total jobs—so the restaurant industry is clearly a massive employer across the country, regardless of which state we’re looking at.
Population-Adjusted Restaurant Density
In addition to those economic factors, we also wanted to examine the restaurant options available to diners in each state. We approached this subject from a few different directions.
First, we determined population-adjusted restaurant density by combining NRA data with the latest numbers from the US Census Bureau, and arrived at these results.
Top Five States for Population-Adjusted Restaurant Density
| State | Population-Adjusted Restaurant Density |
|---|---|
| California | 25.66 |
| Texas | 16.98 |
| New York | 14.81 |
| Florida | 14.47 |
| Pennsylvania | 7.97 |
Escoffier’s analysis found that California has the highest population-adjusted restaurant density by a wide margin.
We chose to look at a weighted figure rather than raw restaurants per capita, which would be biased toward states with smaller populations. This weighting allows us to make a more equitable comparison between states with vastly different populations; see the Methodology section below for more detail on how we derived these figures.
Tourist-to-Restaurant Ratio
Our population-adjusted numbers are useful for comparing the number of restaurants to the number of residents in each state. But residents aren’t the only ones visiting restaurants; tourists eat at restaurants too, and their impact also ought to be considered in order to fully account for the activity of a state’s restaurant scene.
Top Five States with the Highest Tourist-to-Restaurant Ratio
| State | Tourist-to-Restaurant Ratio |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | 376.44 |
| Nevada | 315.75 |
| New York | 183.32 |
| Florida | 164.06 |
| Utah | 94.37 |
A higher ratio was considered positive, because it signals increased demand relative to the supply of restaurants in the state—potentially indicating a more vibrant restaurant scene, with many tourists seeking dining experiences at relatively few restaurants.
Within this framework, Hawaii and Nevada once again outstripped the competition, owing to their tourism-heavy economies.
Percentage of Independent Restaurants
We also wanted to determine how dynamic each state’s restaurant scene is, by looking at the relative proportion of independent versus chain restaurants.
Top Five States with the Highest Percentage of Independent Restaurants
| State | Percentage of Independent Restaurants |
|---|---|
| Vermont | 79.03% |
| Hawaii | 77.17% |
| Alaska | 76.31% |
| Maine | 74.62% |
| New York | 71.87% |
Escoffier’s analysis of the available data revealed that Vermont has the highest proportion of independent restaurants—nearly eight in ten restaurants in the state are independent.
This is nearly double the number in Kentucky, the state with the fewest independent restaurants in the country; 43.30% of restaurants there are independent.
Number of Michelin-Starred Restaurants
Finally, we also considered the number of Michelin-Starred restaurants in each state.
Top Five States with the Most Michelin-Starred Restaurants
| State | Number of Michelin-Starred Restaurants |
|---|---|
| California | 85 |
| New York | 68 |
| Florida | 26 |
| Washington D.C. | 24 |
| Illinois | 20 |
A Michelin Star is perhaps the most coveted form of recognition in the culinary world, and a high number of Michelin-Starred restaurants indicates a high level of excellence in a state’s culinary scene.
However, it’s worth noting that Michelin does not award stars to restaurants in every single state; for this reason, this category only contributes a small portion to each state’s overall score. Also, we’re aware that D.C. isn’t technically a state, but its concentration of starred restaurants necessitated its inclusion here.
Methodology
To determine our rankings, we first obtained data from reliable sources and, in some cases, applied additional analysis in order to extrapolate more meaningful results.
- To determine restaurant spending as a percentage of total food spending, we first gathered state-level data from the USDA’s ERS1 that revealed Food at Home (FAH) and Food away from Home FAFH) expenditures. A previous Escoffier analysis (involving national-level ERS data) found that, on average, 68.56% of FAFH expenditures occur at restaurants; we applied that figure to the state-level data to estimate each state’s restaurant spending.
- To determine restaurant jobs as a percentage of total jobs, we gathered state-level data from the NRA, which tracks this percentage for each state.2
- To determine population-adjusted restaurant density we first determined restaurants per capita by dividing the number of restaurants in each state (per NRA data)2 by the population of each state (per 2023 Census Bureau data).3 We then assigned each state a population weight according to the state’s share of the national population, and used these weights to adjust the per capita numbers in order to eliminate small-population bias. Finally, we multiplied the results by 100,000 to make the numbers more easily comprehensible.
- To determine the tourist-to-restaurant ratio, we divided the number of overseas tourists (according to the U.S. Department of Commerce)4 by the number of restaurants in each state.2 Reliable domestic tourism numbers were not available, so we relied on international tourists as a proxy for tourism in general.
- To determine the percentage of independent restaurants in each state, we first obtained data from Georgia Tech’s Friendly Cities Lab,5 which identified the proportion of chain-owned restaurants in each county across the country. Because this data was organized at the county level, Escoffier aggregated it to the state level in order to make state-by-state comparisons.
- To determine the number of culinary schools, we relied on data from culinaryschools.org,6 a repository for information about culinary schools around the country.
- To determine the number of Michelin-Starred restaurants around the country, we relied on data from Michelin’s own database.7
Once we had obtained data in these seven categories for each state, we normalized the data for each category, then assigned each category a weight corresponding to its relative importance, aggregated the scores, and normalized the results to determine the final topline rankings.
This analysis offers compelling insights into the vibrancy and depth of the restaurant industry around the country, reminding us that restaurant “scenes” aren’t limited to a handful of big cities or flashy neighborhoods but instead are an essential part of the fabric of life no matter where one lives.
Sources:
(1) USDA Economic Research Service State Food Expenditure Series, State food sales, with taxes and tips, for all purchasers
(2) National Restaurant Association State Statistics, Fact Sheets: Industry Size by State
(3) U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, Population estimates, July 1, 2023
(4) U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration, Overseas visitors to U.S. states and territories
(5) Georgia Tech Friendly Cities Lab, Restaurant Chainness
(6) culinaryschools.org, Culinary Schools by State
(7) Michelin Guide, Michelin-Starred restaurants by state
