Cafeterias, Grill Buffets, and Buffets Revenue Benchmarks
The average cafeterias, grill buffets, and buffets business in the United States generates $906K in annual revenue, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB 2021). There are 4,206 cafeterias, grill buffets, and buffets businesses in the U.S., employing 55,427 workers with an average profit margin of 5.0%. The average employee in this industry earns $26K per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2023).
What Does a Cafeterias, Grill Buffets, and Buffets Business Actually Do?
Cafeteria-style and buffet restaurants — Golden Corral, Old Country Buffet, hospital/university cafeterias.
Who buys: Families, senior groups, budget diners, institutional captive audiences.
Average Revenue
$906K
per year
Profit Margin
5.0%
industry average
Revenue / Employee
$69K
per year
Total Businesses
4,206
in the US
Est. Owner Income
$45K
small business avg
Labor Cost
33.0%
of revenue
Avg Employee Wage
$26K
per year (BLS)
Market Saturation
1.3
firms per 100K people
How Much Do Cafeterias, Grill Buffets, and Buffets Charge?
Cafeteria-style and buffet restaurants price per person with all-you-can-eat models.
| Service | Typical range |
|---|---|
Standard buffet lunch | $12–25 per person |
Weekend/premium buffet | $18–35 per person |
Hotel/casino buffet | $35–75 per person |
Kids under 10 | $5–15 or free |
Food cost | 35–40% of revenue |
Ranges based on industry rate surveys and typical published pricing. Actual quotes vary by city, business size, and job complexity.
Complete cafeterias, grill buffets, and buffets business plan
A 12-section data-backed business plan for a cafeterias, grill buffets, and buffets business — executive summary, market analysis, competitive landscape, revenue model, 3-year financial projections, operations, marketing, staffing, funding request. Pre-populated with real Census, IRS, and BLS data on this industry. Free to view.
Cost Structure — Where Every $100 in Revenue Goes
Approximate P&L breakdown for the cafeterias, grill buffets, and buffets industry. Labor share and net profit are grounded in Census SUSB and IRS SOI data. Other lines are split using sector-typical ratios.
| Category | Per $100 revenue | Per typical business | What's in it |
|---|---|---|---|
Food & beverage costs | $34 | $309K | Ingredients, food, beverages, disposables — the raw cost of what's served. |
Wages & benefits | $33 | $299K | Payroll for all employees at the business (owner comp not included for small owner-operators). |
Rent & facilities | $12 | $112K | Rent or mortgage on business location plus utilities tied to the space. |
Marketing & advertising | $3 | $28K | Google/Meta ads, SEO, print, referral fees, event sponsorships. |
Other operating costs | $12 | $112K | Utilities, cleaning, licenses, credit-card processing, kitchen equipment depreciation, insurance. |
Net profit | $5 | $45K | What remains for the owner or shareholders after all business expenses. |
Directionally accurate for a typical business in the industry. Individual businesses vary widely — a franchise may run a very different cost mix from an independent, and older established businesses often have lower labor share than newer ones.
Average Revenue by Business Size
Industry Dynamics (Census BDS 2023)
New Business Rate
11.02%
openings/year
Closure Rate
8.81%
closings/year
Net Job Growth
+4.8%
annual
Businesses Closed
40,490
in 2023
Firm Count Trend
Should You Start a Cafeterias, Grill Buffets, and Buffets Business?
Startup Cost
$100K – $500K
Break-Even
79 months
5-Year Survival Rate
40.0%
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What does a cafeterias, grill buffets, and buffets business do?
- Cafeteria-style and buffet restaurants — Golden Corral, Old Country Buffet, hospital/university cafeterias. Families, senior groups, budget diners, institutional captive audiences.
- How much do cafeterias, grill buffets, and buffets charge?
- Cafeteria-style and buffet restaurants price per person with all-you-can-eat models. See the pricing table above for typical rates by service type.
- How much does the average cafeterias, grill buffets, and buffets make per year?
- The average cafeterias, grill buffets, and buffets business generates $906K in annual revenue, based on U.S. Census Bureau data (SUSB 2021). After expenses, the estimated owner profit is $45K per year at a 5.0% profit margin.
- How many cafeterias, grill buffets, and buffets businesses are there in the US?
- There are 4,206 cafeterias, grill buffets, and buffets businesses operating in the United States, employing a total of 55,427 workers.
- How much does it cost to start a cafeterias, grill buffets, and buffets business?
- Startup costs for a cafeterias, grill buffets, and buffets business typically range from $100K to $500K, with a 5-year survival rate of 40.0%.
- What is the average salary in the cafeterias, grill buffets, and buffets industry?
- The average employee in the cafeterias, grill buffets, and buffets industry earns $26K per year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data (QCEW 2023).
Industry Growth & Survival
The cafeterias, grill buffets, and buffets industry is actively growing — adding jobs at a net rate of 4.8% per year. New establishments are opening faster than existing ones close (11.0% entry vs 8.8% exit), indicating healthy demand.
Approximately 63% of cafeterias, grill buffets, and buffets businesses survive their first 5 years. This is above the national average (~50%), making it a relatively safe industry to enter. In 2023, 40,490 firms in this industry closed permanently.
Employment & Wages
The average employee in the cafeterias, grill buffets, and buffets industry earns $25,941/year. This is below the national average of ~$65K — typical for this sector. With 5,285 establishments employing 75,294 people, the typical business has about 14 employees.
Industry Trend (2000–2023)
The cafeterias, grill buffets, and buffets industry has grown 55% since 2000 (from 262,668 to 407,800 firms).
See full historical statistics →Compare Cafeterias, Grill Buffets, and Buffets revenue with other industries: