2027 Independent Restaurant Industry Report
Photo: Galdones Photography
The James Beard Foundation 2027 Independent Restaurant Industry Report, created in collaboration with Deloitte, brings together insights from an extensive research study of hundreds of restaurant owners and professionals. The report highlights the state of the industry, emerging trends, and critical factors that the independent restaurant industry could leverage to thrive and create progress in the year ahead.
Take this year’s Independent Restaurant Industry Survey
We are collecting data for our 2027 Independent Restaurant Industry Report, which will be released in February 2027 and aims to reflect the reality of our sector of the industry: small businesses owned and operated by people who care deeply about their staff, their communities, and their supply chain. And even though you are facing ever-growing challenges and have little flexibility when it comes to economies of scale or price increase, you always lead with unmatched creativity, problem-solving abilities, business strategies, and relentless care to deliver amazing experiences.
We want the report to capture all of this! Please fill out the survey, which will take about 15 minutes. It is open September 8 to November 9.
Each survey respondent will be entered to win:
- (2) tickets to the 2027 James Beard Awards
- (2) tickets to a Taste America near you
- JBF swag bag
Participate in our industry roundtables
We are hosting virtual and in-person roundtables as part of our data collection process, so please join us for those as well. Sign up below.
Read the 2026 Report
Drawing from in-depth interviews with over 50 chefs and a nationwide survey of more than 350 restaurant leaders, our 2025 Independent Restaurant Industry Report, created in collaboration with Deloitte, sheds light on key trends shaping the industry and offers actionable insights that can help independent restaurants adapt, innovate, and thrive.