Benihana Of Tokyo

US Restaurant Industry over view

Facts 2007

* Sales: $537 billion

* Locations: 935,000 -- serving more than 70 billion meal and snack occasions

* Employees: 12.8 million -- the industry is the largest employer besides government

Industry Sales

Restaurant industry sales

(Billions of current dollars)

Type of Establishment 2007 Estimated Sales (Billions)

Commercial $491

Eating places $363

Drinking places $16

Managed services $36

Lodging-place restaurants $27

Retail, vending,

recreation,

mobile $49

Other $46

Nation's Economy

* Restaurant-industry sales are forecast to advance 5% in 2007 and equal 4% of the U.S. gross domestic product.

* The overall economic impact of the restaurant industry is expected to exceed $1.3 trillion in 2007, including sales in related industries such as agriculture, transportation and manufacturing.

* Every dollar spent by consumers in restaurants generates an additional $2.34 spent in other industries allied with the restaurant industry.

* Every additional $1 million in restaurant sales generates an additional 37 jobs for the nation's economy.

* Average unit sales in 2004 were $795,000 at fullservice restaurants and $671,000 at limited-service restaurants.

* The average household expenditure for food away from home in 2005 was $2,634, or $1,054 per person.

* More than seven out of 10 eating-and-drinking places are single-unit (independent) operations.

Number One Employer

o The restaurant industry employs an estimated 12.8 million people, making it the nation's largest employer outside of government.

o Eating-and-drinking places are extremely labor-intensive -- sales per full-time-equivalent employee were $57,032 in 2005 and notably lower than other industries.

o The restaurant industry provides work for more than 9 percent of those employed in the United States.

o The restaurant industry is expected to add 2 million jobs over the next decade, for total employment of 14.8 million in 2017.

o Nearly half of all adults have worked in the restaurant industry at some time during their lives and 32 percent of adults got their first job experience in a restaurant.

o The typical employee in a foodservice occupation is:

 Female (55 percent)

 Under 30 years of age (53 percent)

 Single (66 percent)

 Working part-time and averaging