On February 6, 2025, the National Restaurant Association released a press statement highlighting its annual State of the Restaurant Industry 2025 report. The release projects sales, employment, and consumer sentiment for U.S. restaurants and foodservice in calendar 2025. This article rewrites that press text for operators and barbecue fans who want the headline numbers without downloading the full report.

Why industry forecasts matter

Restaurants employ millions of people and touch nearly every town. NRA projections are not government statistics; they combine operator surveys and consumer polling from a trade association. Still, the $1.5 trillion sales figure is widely cited when journalists discuss whether Americans are still dining out after inflation and labor shocks.

Sales and jobs

The association expects industry sales to reach $1.5 trillion in 2025, citing a positive economic backdrop and resilient consumer demand. President and CEO Michelle Korsmo said sales should grow more than four percent and employment should approach sixteen million jobs.

The release also projects more than two hundred thousand net new jobs, bringing total restaurant and foodservice employment to 15.9 million by year-end. Restaurants would remain the nation's second-largest private-sector employer.

Cautious operator optimism

More than eight in ten operators expect 2025 sales to match or exceed 2024, while most also expect competition to intensify. Growth in headline sales therefore does not automatically mean easier profit margins.

Pent-up demand across segments

Consumers told surveyors they would use restaurants more often if they had more money. That sentiment appeared across segments: eighty-one percent for on-premises table-service dining, seventy-six percent for quick-service and similar formats, and eighty-two percent for home delivery.

Push to fill dining rooms

Most operators said increasing on-site traffic would be more important to success in 2025. Ninety percent of fine-dining operators and eighty-seven percent of casual-dining operators highlighted on-premises business. Experience-driven concepts, including many smokehouses with dine-in culture, align with that priority.

Costs and labor remain top concerns

Despite upbeat sales language, operators still ranked rising labor and food costs plus hiring and retention among their biggest worries, similar to 2024. Four percent sales growth can be consumed by input inflation.

Value beyond cheap checks

NRA research described "value" in 2025 as a mix of experience, hospitality, cleanliness, and fair pricing. Seventy percent of consumers expressed interest in tasting events, fifty-two percent in private dinners with chefs, and fifty percent in cooking classes at restaurants.

Loyalty and off-premises channels

Among operators with loyalty programs, seventy percent said programs helped traffic. On the consumer side, membership influenced choices for sixty-one percent of delivery users, fifty-four percent of quick-service guests, and forty-one percent of table-service diners.

Eighty-two percent of consumers, including eighty-nine percent of millennials, wanted to order delivery more often if finances allowed. More than half considered takeout essential, including sixty-seven percent of Gen Z and sixty-four percent of millennials. Half of operators said off-premises revenue represented a larger share than in 2019.

Korsmo added that nine in ten people enjoy going to restaurants and that operators are adapting to economic pressure, regulation, and rising food and labor costs.

How to read the numbers

The press release promotes a fuller report sponsored by Sage. Not every segment-level table in the PDF appears in the public statement. Figures here come from the February 6, 2025 release text only.

Context for barbecue brands

Industry growth projections do not guarantee any single restaurant stays open. Independent closures, including Buxton Hall Barbecue in November 2023, show local ownership and strategy still decide outcomes. National data nonetheless suggest Americans still want to eat out when they can afford it.

Conclusion

The National Restaurant Association projected $1.5 trillion in 2025 sales, more than two hundred thousand new jobs, and 15.9 million workers, with most operators expecting flat or higher sales but tougher competition. Consumers want experiences, loyalty perks, and flexible off-premises options. Treat the release as an industry forecast dated February 6, 2025, not as federal census data.