722514/Cafeterias, Grill Buffets, and Buffets
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
69K
employees, 2023
69K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 4,622 US Cafeterias, Grill Buffets, and Buffets business locations employed 68,901 people and paid $1.6 billion in annual payroll, $22,646 per employee on average. Employment was down 2.9% from 2022. Texas had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
4,622
-3.2% vs 2022
Employees
68,901
-2.9% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$1.6B
+1.8% vs 2022
Average pay
$22,646
+4.9% vs 2022
Over the years
United States, 2017 to 2023
Employees
Paid employees in mid-March
Business locations
Places with paid employees
By state
Employees of Cafeterias, Grill Buffets, and Buffets in each state, 2023
Employees by state
States with the most employees
Employees and the share of all the state's jobs
| State | Business locations | Employees | Average pay | Share of state jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 474 | 9,943 | $22,829 | 0.08% |
| California | 424 | 6,054 | $23,913 | 0.04% |
| Florida | 465 | 5,228 | $24,185 | 0.05% |
| Georgia | 266 | 4,804 | $18,742 | 0.11% |
| North Carolina | 145 | 3,394 | $19,591 | 0.08% |
| Virginia | 121 | 2,267 | $22,994 | 0.06% |
| New York | 249 | 2,246 | $28,491 | 0.03% |
| South Carolina | 110 | 2,196 | $22,999 | 0.11% |
| Tennessee | 143 | 2,169 | $22,804 | 0.07% |
| Missouri | 115 | 2,139 | $21,520 | 0.08% |
| Louisiana | 160 | 1,791 | $19,905 | 0.11% |
| Ohio | 143 | 1,772 | $20,516 | 0.03% |
| Pennsylvania | 113 | 1,751 | $21,497 | 0.03% |
| Indiana | 108 | 1,688 | $20,751 | 0.06% |
| Alabama | 129 | 1,422 | $21,364 | 0.08% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 50.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Cafeterias, Grill Buffets, and Buffets employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 125 | 3,078 | $23,169 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 162 | 2,242 | $25,231 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 260 | 2,088 | $28,730 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 117 | 2,083 | $20,913 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 99 | 1,572 | $25,314 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 243 | 1,514 | $29,263 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 108 | 1,091 | $26,527 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 60 | 930 | $24,505 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 38 | 907 | $20,234 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 76 | 858 | $24,930 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 33 | 835 | $23,927 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 25 | 791 | $23,895 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 34 | 720 | $22,060 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 33 | 699 | $21,818 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 59 | 688 | $19,010 |
Business size
US Cafeterias, Grill Buffets, and Buffets business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 1,737 | 37.6% |
| 5 to 9 | 1,023 | 22.1% |
| 10 to 19 | 817 | 17.7% |
| 20 to 49 | 691 | 15.0% |
| 50 to 99 | 311 | 6.7% |
| 100 to 249 | 42 | 0.9% |
| 250 to 499 | Not published | - |
| 500 to 999 | Not published | - |
| 1,000 or more | Not published | - |
Related industries
The industries this code belongs to
Part of Accommodation and Food Services 72Food Services and Drinking Places 722Restaurants and Other Eating Places 7225Restaurants and Other Eating Places 72251
Questions and answers
How many people work in Cafeterias, Grill Buffets, and Buffets in the US?
68,901 people worked at 4,622 US Cafeterias, Grill Buffets, and Buffets business locations in 2023, down 2.9% from 2022. That is 0.05% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Cafeterias, Grill Buffets, and Buffets?
$22,646 a year per employee in 2023, from $1.6 billion in annual payroll (up 4.9% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Cafeterias, Grill Buffets, and Buffets jobs?
Texas had the most, with 9,943 employees in 2023, followed by California (6,054) and Florida (5,228).
Which metro areas have the most Cafeterias, Grill Buffets, and Buffets jobs?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX (3,078), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (2,242), New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (2,088) had the most Cafeterias, Grill Buffets, and Buffets employees in 2023.
Are most Cafeterias, Grill Buffets, and Buffets businesses small?
77.4% of the 4,621 Cafeterias, Grill Buffets, and Buffets business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 0 had 500 or more.
Official US government statistics, published once a year. Business locations are places with paid employees; employees are counted in mid-March; payroll covers the whole year. Covers most private employers, not the self-employed, most government workers or farm workers on farms. * Less accurate: changed by 5% or more to protect privacy. Changes from the year before are shown only when both years use the same edition of the industry codes.