Market rankings · Rhode Island
Fast food and sandwich shops in Rhode Island
Every metro area, small-town market and county in Rhode Island, ranked by the Groundwork market score for fast food and sandwich shops, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 439
- 282 chain locations (64%)
- Official establishments
- 915
- All limited-service restaurants · +5.2% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $1.9B
- On food away from home
- Listings per 10k households
- 9.9
- 26% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $4.2M
- 38% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #14 of 51
- Market score 62 · Upper middle
A site report maps the fast food and sandwich shops on map listings around any address in Rhode Island by name and distance, and the spending within reach.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
There are 439 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings in Rhode Island as of September 2026. Chain locations make up 64% of them, against 79% across the U.S. That is 9.9 per 10,000 households, 26% below the U.S. rate of 13.3.
At $4,196 per household (3% above the U.S. average), households in Rhode Island spend about $1.9B a year on food away from home. Spread across 439 fast food and sandwich shops, that is $4.2M per shop, 38% above the U.S. figure of $3.1M. The spending figure covers all food away from home, not only fast food and sandwich shops.
In 2023, official counts showed 915 businesses with payroll in Rhode Island classed as limited-service restaurants, up 5.2% from 2019. That is one for every 483 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 6.1% over the same years. That count covers all limited-service restaurants (pizza places included), not only fast food and sandwich shops. Since fiscal 2022, 42 SBA-backed loans worth $10.7M have gone to businesses classed as limited-service restaurants in Rhode Island.
Among the 50 states and DC, Rhode Island ranks #14 for fast food and sandwich shops, with a Groundwork market score of 62 (upper middle). The one scored metro area in or partly in Rhode Island, the Providence-Warwick metro area, scores 72. Among 5 scored counties, Bristol County scores highest (70).
Every market in Rhode Island for fast food and sandwich shops
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Rhode Island, highest first; the U.S. rank compares each market with every other of its kind. A metro area that crosses a state line is listed in each state it reaches, and numbered only in the state its page is under. How the score works.
Metro areas
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 72 | 658 | 9.7 | $4.3M | +2.1% | #57 of 387 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Bristol County, RI | 70 | 13 | 6.5 | $7.5M | −1.5% | #346 of 2,222 |
| 2Kent County, RI | 70 | 76 | 10.4 | $4.2M | +1.8% | #357 of 2,222 |
| 3Washington County, RI | 68 | 62 | 11.8 | $4M | 0.0% | #429 of 2,222 |
| 4Providence County, RI | 63 | 252 | 9.7 | $4.1M | +2.8% | #601 of 2,222 |
| 5Newport County, RI | 57 | 36 | 9.8 | $4.7M | −2.9% | #844 of 2,222 |
Questions
How many fast food and sandwich shops are in Rhode Island?
As of September 2026, map listings count 439 fast food and sandwich shops in Rhode Island. 282 of them (64%) are chain locations. The listings count fast food, sandwich shops, delis and bagel shops. Official counts show 915 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in 2023, up 5.2% from 2019. The official count takes in all limited-service restaurants, not only fast food and sandwich shops: pizza places are counted too. Official counts list 146 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Rhode Island spend on food away from home?
About $1.9B a year, or $4,196 per household. That is 3% above the U.S. average (an index of 103, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 439 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings, it comes to $4.2M per shop. That spending covers all food away from home, which fast food and sandwich shops share with other businesses in the trade. It is estimated from the incomes of the 441,570 households in Rhode Island and national spending patterns by income.
How does Rhode Island compare with the U.S. for fast food and sandwich shops?
Rhode Island has 9.9 fast food and sandwich shops per 10,000 households, 26% below the U.S. rate of 13.3. Spending per shop is $4.2M, 38% above the U.S. figure of $3.1M. At the U.S. ratio of fast food and sandwich shops to household spending, Rhode Island would have about 607, against 439 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 483 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S. The official count rose 5.2% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.1% for the U.S.
Which market in Rhode Island has the highest market score for fast food and sandwich shops?
The one scored metro area in or partly in Rhode Island is the Providence-Warwick metro area, at 72 (upper middle). Among 5 scored counties in Rhode Island, Bristol County scores highest, at 70 (upper middle). Scores compare each market with others of its kind across the U.S.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Rhode Island scores 62 for fast food and sandwich shops (upper middle), #14 of the 50 states and DC.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Rhode Island. It maps the fast food and sandwich shops on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
Fast food and sandwich shops in other states
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Top markets for fast food and sandwich shops across the U.S. · All business types in Rhode Island
Related business types in Rhode Island
- Restaurants and cafes5,398 listings
- Sit-down restaurants2,992 listings
- Pizza463 listings
- Coffee shops and cafes584 listings
- Bakeries and dessert shops576 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in Rhode Island?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.