U.S. Restaurant Counts: New Openings and Closures 2024 Data
U.S. Restaurant Landscape: Key Numbers and Trends
As of August 1, 2024, there were 786,206 restaurants operating in the United States. New openings were running at a steady pace of 550–650 new locations per week, while RestaurantData’s review of restaurant closure activity showed no significant acceleration in closures compared with prior periods.
Data as of August 1, 2024. Opening counts are sourced from weekly legal-filing analysis by RestaurantData.com. Closure data is based on reviews of Yelp, Google Maps, OpenTable, and TripAdvisor. For a longer historical view, see 4.5 Years of New Restaurant Opening Trends .
Key Observations
Independent restaurants dominated both openings and closures. Independent operators represented the large majority of new restaurant openings during the period, but they also accounted for most recorded closures. Of the 15,977 restaurant closures identified during the first half of 2024, 83% involved independent establishments, representing 13,265 locations. Chain restaurants accounted for the remaining 17%, representing 2,712 locations.
The chain share of new restaurant openings declined substantially. Before the pandemic, restaurant chains accounted for approximately 25–33% of new locations. During the period covered by this report, that share had fallen to approximately 10–12%, reflecting increased independent restaurant activity and more selective development strategies among established chains.
Restaurant closures increased from the first quarter to the second quarter. RestaurantData identified 7,021 closures from January through March 2024 and 8,956 closures from April through June. The second-quarter total was approximately 27% higher than the first-quarter total.
The closure data did not indicate a nationwide collapse in restaurant activity. Although closures remained substantial, the reviewed data did not show a sharp break from prior operating patterns. Restaurant openings continued at a steady weekly pace, demonstrating that closures and new development were occurring at the same time across different markets, concepts, and operator groups.
RestaurantData’s current research framework extends beyond individual opening and closure counts. Verified locations, restaurant brands, franchise relationships, operating companies, and parent organizations are organized within Atlas by RestaurantData , which connects restaurant locations with the companies and ownership structures responsible for their operation.
New Restaurant Openings
A steady pace of 550–650 new restaurant locations were opening each week across the United States during the period covered by this report. This represented a meaningful increase from the 500-plus weekly average seen in 2023, reflecting continued recovery, replacement activity, entrepreneurship, and expansion within the foodservice market.
Chain versus independent openings: A notable shift occurred in the composition of new openings following the pandemic:
- Approximately 10–12% of new openings were chain restaurants, a significant decrease from pre-pandemic levels.
- Before the pandemic, chains accounted for approximately 25–33% of all new restaurant locations.
- Independent operators represented the large majority of new openings, reflecting continued entrepreneurial activity within the foodservice sector.
The shift toward independent and smaller multi-unit operators is also visible in RestaurantData’s research on restaurant multi-concept operators . That analysis examines how restaurant companies expand from a single concept into organizations operating multiple brands, legal entities, and location networks.
U.S. Restaurant Closures During the First Half of 2024
Restaurant closures remained a significant part of the U.S. foodservice landscape during the first half of 2024. RestaurantData identified 15,977 restaurant closures from January through June based on a review of operating-status information available through Yelp, Google Maps, OpenTable, and TripAdvisor.
Closure activity affected independent restaurants and chain locations, although the distribution was not equal. Independent establishments accounted for 13,265 closures, compared with 2,712 chain restaurant closures. This difference partly reflects the much larger number of independent restaurants operating in the United States and the higher rate of business formation, ownership changes, concept turnover, and individual location closures within the independent segment.
Reports about restaurant closures can create the impression that the industry is contracting uniformly. The underlying market is more complex. A restaurant may close while another opens nearby, a location may reopen under a different concept, or an operator may close an underperforming unit while continuing to develop locations in other markets.
The first six months of 2024 recorded the following quarterly restaurant closure totals:
| Period | Total Closures | Chain Closures | Independent Closures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 2024: January–March | 7,021 | — | — |
| Q2 2024: April–June | 8,956 | — | — |
| H1 2024 Total | 15,977 | 2,712 | 13,265 |
The chain-versus-independent breakdown applies to the full first-half 2024 total. Separate chain and independent counts were not available for the individual quarters. Source: RestaurantData.com analysis of Yelp, Google Maps, OpenTable, and TripAdvisor data.
Why Restaurant Closure Counts Require Verification
Restaurant closure counts are more difficult to verify than they may initially appear. Online business listings can remain active after a restaurant closes, while temporary closures, renovations, seasonal shutdowns, ownership changes, and rebranding can create conflicting status information across platforms.
A restaurant marked closed on one platform may still appear open on another. In other cases, the restaurant may have ceased operating while the location remains active under a new name or concept. RestaurantData therefore reviews closure information across multiple sources rather than relying on a single directory or platform.
The figures in this report represent identified location closures, not bankruptcies, company failures, or permanent exits by every restaurant operator associated with those locations. A company may close one restaurant while continuing to operate or expand elsewhere.
What the Closure Numbers Indicate
The increase from 7,021 restaurant closures in the first quarter to 8,956 in the second quarter represented a quarterly change of approximately 27%. The difference should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of a long-term national closure surge because quarter-to-quarter restaurant activity can be influenced by seasonal operating patterns, lease timing, ownership decisions, delayed status updates, and normal location turnover.
The simultaneous pace of hundreds of new restaurant openings each week also shows why openings and closures should be evaluated together. The U.S. restaurant market was continuing to add new locations even as other establishments ceased operating.
Restaurant openings and closures can occur for different reasons across operator categories. Independent restaurant closures may reflect individual business conditions, lease changes, retirement, ownership transfers, financing limitations, or concept performance. Chain closures may be part of portfolio reviews, market exits, franchise changes, relocations, or broader restructuring programs.
RestaurantData organizes recent company development activity through the Expansion Pressure Index™ . The index evaluates verified expansion activity across growing restaurant companies and helps distinguish sustained development from isolated location announcements.
Restaurant Development by Company Size
The relationship between openings and closures also differs by company size. Small restaurant operators may add or close one location at a time, making each event significant to the overall company. Larger restaurant organizations can open and close multiple units during the same period as they adjust their market portfolios.
A closure by a large restaurant company does not necessarily indicate that the organization has stopped expanding. Enterprise operators may close mature or underperforming locations while opening restaurants in different markets, acquiring additional concepts, changing franchise relationships, or shifting investment toward other brands.
The Restaurant Enterprise Index™ examines larger restaurant companies, franchise organizations, multi-concept operators, and enterprise ownership groups, generally covering organizations responsible for 100 or more restaurant units.
How RestaurantData Identifies Opening Activity
RestaurantData researches new restaurant development through a continuing review of alcohol-license applications, business registrations, assumed-name filings, construction permits, planning records, zoning documents, company announcements, local reporting, and direct verification.
A filing or development signal is not automatically classified as a completed opening. Records are reviewed as additional information becomes available, including operating status, expected opening dates, ownership relationships, concept names, addresses, construction progress, and company affiliations.
Additional methodology papers, market analyses, cross-tab reports, executive-movement studies, opening research, closure analysis, and company-level research are organized within the RestaurantData Research Center .
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Preferred citation: Source: RestaurantData.com, U.S. Restaurant Landscape: Key Numbers and Trends, data as of August 1, 2024.