{
  "name": "New York City Restaurant Profit Margin Benchmarks",
  "description": "Gross margin, net margin, cost-share, labor, and market-size benchmarks for independent restaurants in New York City, New York. Ranges are planning benchmarks for owner-operated businesses, not forecasts.",
  "version": "2026 city benchmark edition",
  "city": "New York City",
  "state": "New York",
  "industry": "Restaurant",
  "reviewStatus": "screening",
  "coverage": "Independent restaurant operators in New York City, New York; national chains, franchise groups, and multi-unit operators excluded unless noted",
  "dataCompiledAt": "2026-07-13",
  "sourcesVerifiedAt": "2026-09-27",
  "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "sourcePage": "https://hustlefin.com/benchmarks/restaurant/city/new-york-city/",
  "citation": "HustleFin (2026). New York City Restaurant Profit Margin Benchmarks. Retrieved from https://hustlefin.com/benchmarks/restaurant/city/new-york-city/",
  "metrics": [
    {
      "key": "gross_margin_pct",
      "label": "Gross margin",
      "unit": "percent",
      "low": 55,
      "average": 62,
      "high": 68
    },
    {
      "key": "net_margin_pct",
      "label": "Net margin",
      "unit": "percent",
      "low": 0,
      "average": 3,
      "high": 5
    },
    {
      "key": "labor_cost_pct",
      "label": "Labor cost (% of revenue)",
      "unit": "percent",
      "low": 29,
      "average": 35,
      "high": 40
    },
    {
      "key": "rent_cost_pct",
      "label": "Rent (% of revenue)",
      "unit": "percent",
      "low": 5,
      "average": 10,
      "high": 18
    },
    {
      "key": "typical_revenue",
      "label": "Typical revenue",
      "unit": "text",
      "value": "$400,000 – $4,000,000/year for independent NYC restaurants"
    }
  ],
  "labor": {
    "minimumWage": "$16.00/hr (NYC—all employers)",
    "stateMinimumWage": "$16.00/hr (NYC/LI/Westchester), $15.50/hr (rest of NY)",
    "tippedWage": "$10.65/hr + $5.35 tip credit",
    "note": "NYC has a separate tipped minimum wage schedule. The tip credit ($5.35/hr) plus cash wage ($10.65/hr) must reach $16.00/hr. NYC wages increase annually based on CPI-W for the Northeast Region."
  },
  "market": [
    {
      "label": "Estimated restaurants",
      "value": 25000
    },
    {
      "label": "Commercial rent range",
      "value": "$60–120/sqft (Manhattan), $35–55/sqft (Brooklyn/Queens), $20–35/sqft (outer boroughs)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Sales tax on food",
      "value": "8.875% on prepared food (4% state + 4.5% NYC + 0.375% MCTD)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Special fees",
      "value": "NYC Commercial Rent Tax 3.9% (Manhattan <96th St, rent >$250K); health dept letter grades mandatory"
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "label": "New York State Department of Labor",
      "url": "https://dol.ny.gov/",
      "note": "State minimum wage, tip credit, and tipped-wage rules."
    },
    {
      "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 — New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ",
      "url": "https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_35620.htm",
      "note": "Metropolitan-area occupational wage estimates from the BLS OEWS program."
    },
    {
      "label": "New York State Department of Taxation and Finance",
      "url": "https://www.tax.ny.gov/",
      "note": "State and local sales tax rates, including NYC and MCTD surcharges."
    },
    {
      "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": "NYC Department of Finance",
      "url": "https://www.nyc.gov/site/finance/index.page",
      "note": "NYC business taxes, licensing, and enforcement."
    }
  ]
}