{
  "name": "Seattle Restaurant Profit Margin Benchmarks",
  "description": "Gross margin, net margin, cost-share, labor, and market-size benchmarks for independent restaurants in Seattle, Washington. Ranges are planning benchmarks for owner-operated businesses, not forecasts.",
  "version": "2026 city benchmark edition",
  "city": "Seattle",
  "state": "Washington",
  "industry": "Restaurant",
  "reviewStatus": "screening",
  "coverage": "Independent restaurant operators in Seattle, Washington; 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/seattle/",
  "citation": "HustleFin (2026). Seattle Restaurant Profit Margin Benchmarks. Retrieved from https://hustlefin.com/benchmarks/restaurant/city/seattle/",
  "metrics": [
    {
      "key": "gross_margin_pct",
      "label": "Gross margin",
      "unit": "percent",
      "low": 52,
      "average": 59,
      "high": 65
    },
    {
      "key": "net_margin_pct",
      "label": "Net margin",
      "unit": "percent",
      "low": 0,
      "average": 3,
      "high": 4
    },
    {
      "key": "labor_cost_pct",
      "label": "Labor cost (% of revenue)",
      "unit": "percent",
      "low": 34,
      "average": 38,
      "high": 42
    },
    {
      "key": "rent_cost_pct",
      "label": "Rent (% of revenue)",
      "unit": "percent",
      "low": 5,
      "average": 8,
      "high": 12
    },
    {
      "key": "typical_revenue",
      "label": "Typical revenue",
      "unit": "text",
      "value": "$350,000 – $2,500,000/year for independent Seattle restaurants"
    }
  ],
  "labor": {
    "minimumWage": "$20.76/hr (Seattle city, no tip credit)",
    "stateMinimumWage": "$16.66/hr (Washington state, no tip credit)",
    "tippedWage": "$20.76/hr (full minimum, no tip credit allowed in WA)",
    "note": "Seattle's municipal minimum wage exceeds Washington state's rate. WA law prohibits tip credits entirely. All employees must receive the full minimum in direct wages. This is the highest minimum wage of any major US city."
  },
  "market": [
    {
      "label": "Estimated restaurants",
      "value": 3800
    },
    {
      "label": "Commercial rent range",
      "value": "$30–42/sqft (Capitol Hill/Ballard), $22–28/sqft (Georgetown/Columbia City)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Sales tax on food",
      "value": "10.25% on prepared food (6.5% state + 3.75% Seattle)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Special fees",
      "value": "Sweetened beverage tax $0.0175/oz; mandatory paid sick leave; composting mandate"
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "label": "Washington State Department of Revenue",
      "url": "https://dor.wa.gov/",
      "note": "State and local sales tax rates and B&O tax guidance."
    },
    {
      "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 — Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA",
      "url": "https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_42660.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 Seattle",
      "url": "https://www.seattle.gov/",
      "note": "City labor standards, licensing, and local fees."
    }
  ]
}