Market rankings · Rhode Island
Restaurants and cafes in Rhode Island
Every metro area, small-town market and county in Rhode Island, ranked by the Groundwork market score for restaurants and cafes, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 5,398
- 1,286 chain locations (24%)
- Official establishments
- 2,561
- +4.1% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $1.9B
- On food away from home
- Listings per 10k households
- 122.2
- 11% above the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $343K
- 7% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #45 of 51
- Market score 31 · Lower middle
A site report maps the restaurants and cafes 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 5,398 restaurants and cafes on map listings in Rhode Island as of September 2026. Of those, 1,286 are chain locations, or 24%, against 34% across the U.S. That is 122.2 per 10,000 households, 11% above the U.S. rate of 109.8.
Household spending on food away from home in Rhode Island comes to about $1.9B a year: $4,196 per household, 3% above the U.S. average. Spread across 5,398 restaurants and cafes, that is $343K per restaurant, 7% below the U.S. figure of $371K.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in Rhode Island was 2,561 in 2023, up 4.1% from 2019. That is one for every 172 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 6.0% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 135 SBA-backed loans worth $48.2M have gone to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in Rhode Island.
Among the 50 states and DC, Rhode Island ranks #45 for restaurants and cafes, with a Groundwork market score of 31 (lower middle). The one scored metro area in or partly in Rhode Island, the Providence-Warwick metro area, scores 45. Among 5 scored counties, Kent County scores highest (53).
Every market in Rhode Island for restaurants and cafes
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 | 45 | 7,489 | 110.9 | $377K | +2.1% | #220 of 387 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Kent County, RI | 53 | 766 | 105.2 | $412K | +1.8% | #1,053 of 2,405 |
| 2Bristol County, RI | 44 | 245 | 121.9 | $400K | −1.5% | #1,437 of 2,405 |
| 3Providence County, RI | 39 | 3,114 | 120.1 | $328K | +2.8% | #1,663 of 2,405 |
| 4Washington County, RI | 37 | 732 | 139.3 | $338K | 0.0% | #1,743 of 2,405 |
| 5Newport County, RI | 29 | 541 | 146.7 | $314K | −2.9% | #2,068 of 2,405 |
Questions
How many restaurants and cafes are in Rhode Island?
As of September 2026, map listings count 5,398 restaurants and cafes in Rhode Island. 1,286 of them (24%) are chain locations. The listings count every restaurant, cafe, bar, bakery and food truck. Official counts show 2,561 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in 2023, up 4.1% from 2019. Another 400 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
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 5,398 restaurants and cafes on map listings, it comes to $343K per restaurant. 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 restaurants and cafes?
Rhode Island has 122.2 restaurants and cafes per 10,000 households, 11% above the U.S. rate of 109.8. Spending per restaurant is $343K, 7% below the U.S. figure of $371K. At the U.S. ratio of restaurants and cafes to household spending, Rhode Island would have about 4,997, against 5,398 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 172 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. The official count rose 4.1% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.0% for the U.S.
Which market in Rhode Island has the highest market score for restaurants and cafes?
The one scored metro area in or partly in Rhode Island is the Providence-Warwick metro area, at 45 (lower middle). Among 5 scored counties in Rhode Island, Kent County scores highest, at 53 (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 31 for restaurants and cafes (lower middle), #45 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 restaurants and cafes 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.
Restaurants and cafes in other states
All 51 states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Top markets for restaurants and cafes across the U.S. · All business types in Rhode Island
Related business types in Rhode Island
- Sit-down restaurants2,992 listings
- Fast food and sandwich shops439 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.