Restaurant Sector

Avg Ticket

Target Rate

Typical Rate (est.)

Tip-to-Gross %

Target Labor %

Target Prime Cost

Chargeback Risk

Fast Casual

$16.50

2.3%

2.75%

8.5%

29%

57.5%

0.08%

Casual Full-Service Dining

$42.50

2.35%

2.84%

18.2%

33%

62%

0.12%

Fine Dining & Upscale Bistro

$125.00

2.15%

2.65%

20.5%

36%

64%

0.15%

Quick Service

$11.20

2.4%

2.95%

4.5%

27.5%

56.5%

0.05%

High-Volume Bar, Lounge & Nightclub

$34.00

2.25%

2.78%

21%

24%

48%

0.28%

Pizzeria & Delivery-First Kitchen

$29.50

2.45%

2.92%

15%

31%

57.5%

0.18%

Indian Cuisine, Tandoori & BanquetCuisine

$46.50

2.3%

2.88%

16.5%

31%

59%

0.1%

Thai Bistro, Curry & Noodle BarCuisine

$26.50

2.38%

2.89%

15%

29.5%

58%

0.08%

Mexican Taqueria & Tequila CantinaCuisine

$32.50

2.28%

2.78%

17.5%

26.5%

54.5%

0.12%

Sources & method

Public sources publish industry-wide ranges, not figures for each type of restaurant. The numbers for each segment above are RestoGrowth Advisor estimates chosen inside these ranges, last reviewed September 2026. Use them as a starting point and replace them with your own numbers in your restaurant profile. Formulas and assumptions for every tool are on How we calculate.

Prime cost (food + labor): 60% or less is the usual target; about 60–65% full-service, 55–60% quick-service. Restaurant365, How to Calculate Restaurant Prime Cost (2026)

Food cost: Typically 28–35% of food sales. Restaurant365 / industry accounting guides (2026)

Labor cost: Median 36.5% full-service and 31.7% limited-service (2024); common targets 25–30% quick-service, 30–35% full-service. National Restaurant Association operations data, as summarized by Restaurant Inventory Tools (2024 data)

Card processing rates: Published flat rates: Square 2.6% + 15¢, Toast 2.49–3.09% + 15¢, Clover 2.3% + 10¢ (in person). Square fees; Toast payment processing fees (2026)

Delivery app commissions: 15%, 25% or 30% per order depending on plan (DoorDash Basic / Plus / Premier; Uber Eats has similar tiers). Rezku, Third-Party Delivery Fees in 2026 (2026)

Tips: Average card tip 19.3% at full-service and 15.8% at quick-service restaurants (share of the check, tipped transactions only). Toast, Restaurant Tipping Trends (Q1 2026) (Q1 2026)

Estimates without a public per-segment source: Average ticket, Chargeback rate, Target and high-risk card rates by segment, Tips as a share of gross sales. "Tip-to-Gross %" is tips as a share of all sales, so it is lower than the average tip on a tipped check.

Industry Benchmarks

Compare your numbers against typical averages for your dining concept

BenchmarksSources reviewed September 2026

Restaurant industry benchmarks

Compare your card fees, tips and labor with typical figures for your type of restaurant. Ranges come from public sources; figures for each type of restaurant are our estimates within them.

Sector:

Casual Full-Service Dining

Table-service environment with high tip capture. Sensitive to rewards card interchange (Visa Signature, Amex) and server handheld processing speeds.

Target Rate

2.35%

Typical Rate (est.)

2.84%

Cross-Sector Financial Benchmark Matrix (9 Categories)

Quick Select:

Restaurant Sector	Avg Ticket	Target Rate	Typical Rate (est.)	Tip-to-Gross %	Target Labor %	Target Prime Cost	Chargeback Risk
Fast Casual	$16.50	2.3%	2.75%	8.5%	29%	57.5%	0.08%
Casual Full-Service Dining	$42.50	2.35%	2.84%	18.2%	33%	62%	0.12%
Fine Dining & Upscale Bistro	$125.00	2.15%	2.65%	20.5%	36%	64%	0.15%
Quick Service	$11.20	2.4%	2.95%	4.5%	27.5%	56.5%	0.05%
High-Volume Bar, Lounge & Nightclub	$34.00	2.25%	2.78%	21%	24%	48%	0.28%
Pizzeria & Delivery-First Kitchen	$29.50	2.45%	2.92%	15%	31%	57.5%	0.18%
Indian Cuisine, Tandoori & BanquetCuisine	$46.50	2.3%	2.88%	16.5%	31%	59%	0.1%
Thai Bistro, Curry & Noodle BarCuisine	$26.50	2.38%	2.89%	15%	29.5%	58%	0.08%
Mexican Taqueria & Tequila CantinaCuisine	$32.50	2.28%	2.78%	17.5%	26.5%	54.5%	0.12%

Sources & method

Prime cost (food + labor): 60% or less is the usual target; about 60–65% full-service, 55–60% quick-service. Restaurant365, How to Calculate Restaurant Prime Cost (2026)
Food cost: Typically 28–35% of food sales. Restaurant365 / industry accounting guides (2026)
Labor cost: Median 36.5% full-service and 31.7% limited-service (2024); common targets 25–30% quick-service, 30–35% full-service. National Restaurant Association operations data, as summarized by Restaurant Inventory Tools (2024 data)
Card processing rates: Published flat rates: Square 2.6% + 15¢, Toast 2.49–3.09% + 15¢, Clover 2.3% + 10¢ (in person). Square fees; Toast payment processing fees (2026)
Delivery app commissions: 15%, 25% or 30% per order depending on plan (DoorDash Basic / Plus / Premier; Uber Eats has similar tiers). Rezku, Third-Party Delivery Fees in 2026 (2026)
Tips: Average card tip 19.3% at full-service and 15.8% at quick-service restaurants (share of the check, tipped transactions only). Toast, Restaurant Tipping Trends (Q1 2026) (Q1 2026)

Specialty Advisory

Cuisine Spotlight: Indian, Thai & Mexican

Independent Indian, Thai and Mexican restaurants often have cost structures that differ from chain concepts: varying delivery app dependencies, family-style ticket values, and differing cash usage patterns.

Indian Dining & Banquets$46.50 Avg Ticket

The Phone Catering Trap: Weekend buffets and large family dinners bring steady revenue, but big catering orders taken by phone and keyed in by hand are charged higher card-not-present rates.

💡 Advisor Fix: Send a secure payment link for catering orders instead of keying in card numbers.

Thai Bistro & Noodle Bars$26.50 Avg Ticket

Delivery Commission Drag: Many Thai restaurants rely heavily on DoorDash and Uber Eats, paying 15–30% commission per order. Busy counter lunches on small tickets also feel per-transaction fees (15¢ is about 1% of a $14 curry).

💡 Advisor Fix: Put a QR code for your own online ordering in every delivery bag to move repeat customers off the apps.

Mexican Taqueria & Cantina$32.50 Avg Ticket

Cash Discount Candidate: Where many guests already pay cash and beverage margins are strong, a cash discount program can work well for Mexican concepts.

💡 Advisor Fix: Model it in the Dual Pricing calculator, including possible guest pushback, and check your state's rules before rolling it out.

Ticket Size Dynamics

The Fixed Per-Swipe Fee Trap

In Quick Service or Coffee concepts where tickets are $6.00 to $12.00, a fixed fee per transaction (for example 15¢) adds about 1.25% to 2.5% on top of the percentage rate. For small tickets, a lower per-transaction fee can save more than a lower percentage rate.

Rewards Cards Exposure

Fine Dining & Corporate Amex

Upscale restaurants see many premium rewards cards (for example Chase Sapphire and Amex Platinum), which carry some of the highest interchange rates. Compare flat-rate pricing with interchange-plus using your own statement.

Delivery & Takeout Leakage

3rd-Party Marketplace Commissions

Card processing usually costs a few percent of each sale; delivery apps charge 15% to 30%. Every order you move to your own online ordering keeps most of that commission in your business.