{
  "name": "Atlanta Restaurant Profit Margin Benchmarks",
  "description": "Gross margin, net margin, cost-share, labor, and market-size benchmarks for independent restaurants in Atlanta, Georgia. Ranges are planning benchmarks for owner-operated businesses, not forecasts.",
  "version": "2026 city benchmark edition",
  "city": "Atlanta",
  "state": "Georgia",
  "industry": "Restaurant",
  "reviewStatus": "screening",
  "coverage": "Independent restaurant operators in Atlanta, Georgia; national chains, franchise groups, and multi-unit operators excluded unless noted",
  "dataCompiledAt": "2026-06-22",
  "sourcesVerifiedAt": "2026-09-27",
  "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "sourcePage": "https://hustlefin.com/benchmarks/restaurant/city/atlanta/",
  "citation": "HustleFin (2026). Atlanta Restaurant Profit Margin Benchmarks. Retrieved from https://hustlefin.com/benchmarks/restaurant/city/atlanta/",
  "metrics": [
    {
      "key": "gross_margin_pct",
      "label": "Gross margin",
      "unit": "percent",
      "low": 57,
      "average": 64,
      "high": 70
    },
    {
      "key": "net_margin_pct",
      "label": "Net margin",
      "unit": "percent",
      "low": 1,
      "average": 5,
      "high": 7
    },
    {
      "key": "labor_cost_pct",
      "label": "Labor cost (% of revenue)",
      "unit": "percent",
      "low": 23,
      "average": 28,
      "high": 32
    },
    {
      "key": "rent_cost_pct",
      "label": "Rent (% of revenue)",
      "unit": "percent",
      "low": 4,
      "average": 7,
      "high": 10
    },
    {
      "key": "typical_revenue",
      "label": "Typical revenue",
      "unit": "text",
      "value": "$300,000 – $2,500,000/year for independent Atlanta restaurants"
    }
  ],
  "labor": {
    "minimumWage": "$7.25/hr (federal)",
    "stateMinimumWage": "$7.25/hr (Georgia follows federal, no state minimum wage law)",
    "tippedWage": "$2.13/hr + tips",
    "note": "Lowest legal labor costs in the pilot alongside New Orleans. Market wages ($14–22/hr) are above the legal floor due to competitive labor market. Atlanta has no local minimum wage ordinance."
  },
  "market": [
    {
      "label": "Estimated restaurants",
      "value": 4000
    },
    {
      "label": "Commercial rent range",
      "value": "$28–35/sqft (BeltLine corridor), $18–25/sqft (off-BeltLine neighborhoods)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Sales tax on food",
      "value": "8.9% on prepared food (4.0% state + up to 4.9% local option)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Special fees",
      "value": "County-level alcohol licensing (Fulton vs. DeKalb); Sunday alcohol sales restrictions; Georgia three-tier alcohol distribution"
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "label": "Georgia Department of Revenue",
      "url": "https://dor.georgia.gov/",
      "note": "State sales tax and local option tax rates."
    },
    {
      "label": "U.S. Census Bureau — County Business Patterns",
      "url": "https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp.html",
      "note": "Establishment counts and payroll by industry and geography. Source of the estimated business counts on this page."
    },
    {
      "label": "BLS OEWS — Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA",
      "url": "https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_12060.htm",
      "note": "Metropolitan-area occupational wage estimates from the BLS OEWS program."
    },
    {
      "label": "National Restaurant Association — Research",
      "url": "https://restaurant.org/research-and-media/research/",
      "note": "Industry operations data and cost-structure research for US restaurants."
    },
    {
      "label": "City of Atlanta",
      "url": "https://www.atlantaga.gov/",
      "note": "City occupational tax certificates and permits."
    }
  ]
}