Groundwork

Market rankings · Hawaii

Sit-down restaurants in Hawaii

Every metro area, small-town market and county in Hawaii, ranked by the Groundwork market score for sit-down restaurants, with competitor counts and household spending for each.

Listings
4,560
821 chain locations (18%)
Official establishments
1,238
−2.0% since 2019
Household spending a year
$2.2B
On food away from home
Listings per 10k households
92.6
51% above the U.S.
Spending per listing
$490K
26% below the U.S.
Rank among states
#51 of 51
Market score 21 · Low

A site report maps the sit-down restaurants on map listings around any address in Hawaii by name and distance, and the spending within reach.

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Survey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure

What this means

Hawaii has 4,560 sit-down restaurants on map listings as of September 2026. Chain locations make up 18% of them, against 29% across the U.S. That comes to 92.6 for every 10,000 households, 51% above the U.S. rate of 61.3.

Household spending on food away from home in Hawaii comes to about $2.2B a year: $4,533 per household, 11% above the U.S. average. That is about $490K of household spending for each restaurant on map listings, 26% below the U.S. figure of $664K. The spending figure covers all food away from home, not only sit-down restaurants.

The official count of businesses with payroll classed as full-service restaurants in Hawaii was 1,238 in 2023, down 2.0% from 2019. That is one for every 398 households, against one for every 500 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 1.5% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 49 SBA-backed loans worth $18.8M have gone to businesses classed as full-service restaurants in Hawaii.

Among the 50 states and DC, Hawaii ranks #51 for sit-down restaurants, with a Groundwork market score of 21 (low). Of the 2 scored metro areas in or partly in Hawaii, the Urban Honolulu metro area scores highest (26). Of the 2 scored small-town markets in or partly in Hawaii, the Hilo-Kailua area scores highest (43).

Every market in Hawaii for sit-down restaurants

Download the ranking (CSV)

Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Hawaii, 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

Metro areas reaching Hawaii, ranked for sit-down restaurants by Groundwork market score
MarketScoreListingsPer 10k householdsSpending per listingPopulation growthU.S. rank
1Urban Honolulu, HI262,91386.0$544K−2.3%#359 of 387
2Kahului-Wailuku, HI20708126.7$354K−2.5%#376 of 387

Small-town markets

Small-town markets reaching Hawaii, ranked for sit-down restaurants by Groundwork market score
MarketScoreListingsPer 10k householdsSpending per listingPopulation growthU.S. rank
1Hilo-Kailua, HI4358679.1$503K+4.6%#341 of 538
2Kapaa, HI30353149.4$294K+0.3%#468 of 538

Counties

Counties in Hawaii, ranked for sit-down restaurants by Groundwork market score
MarketScoreListingsPer 10k householdsSpending per listingPopulation growthU.S. rank
1Hawaii County, HI3858679.1$503K+4.6%#1,744 of 2,405
2Honolulu County, HI312,91386.0$544K−2.3%#2,009 of 2,405
3Kauai County, HI27353149.4$294K+0.3%#2,168 of 2,405
4Maui County, HI23708126.8$354K−2.5%#2,260 of 2,405
Kalawao County, HINot scored00.0n/a+2.5%

Markets with fewer than 5 sit-down restaurants on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.

Questions

How many sit-down restaurants are in Hawaii?

Map listings as of September 2026 show 4,560 sit-down restaurants in Hawaii. 821 of them (18%) are chain locations. The listings count restaurants of every cuisine, pizza included. Official counts show 1,238 businesses with payroll classed as full-service restaurants in 2023, down 2.0% from 2019. Official counts list 184 one-person businesses without payroll.

How much do households in Hawaii spend on food away from home?

About $2.2B a year, or $4,533 per household. That is 11% above the U.S. average (an index of 111, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 4,560 sit-down restaurants on map listings, it comes to $490K per restaurant. That spending covers all food away from home, which sit-down restaurants share with other businesses in the trade. It is estimated from the incomes of the 492,453 households in Hawaii and national spending patterns by income.

How does Hawaii compare with the U.S. for sit-down restaurants?

Hawaii has 92.6 sit-down restaurants per 10,000 households, 51% above the U.S. rate of 61.3. Spending per restaurant is $490K, 26% below the U.S. figure of $664K. At the U.S. ratio of sit-down restaurants to household spending, Hawaii would have about 3,364, against 4,560 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 398 households, against one for every 500 across the U.S. The official count fell 2.0% from 2019 to 2023, against +1.5% for the U.S.

Which market in Hawaii has the highest market score for sit-down restaurants?

Among 2 scored metro areas in or partly in Hawaii, the Urban Honolulu metro area scores highest, at 26 (lower middle). Among 2 scored small-town markets in or partly in Hawaii, the Hilo-Kailua area scores highest, at 43 (lower middle). Among 4 scored counties in Hawaii, Hawaii County scores highest, at 38 (lower 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. Hawaii scores 21 for sit-down restaurants (low), #51 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 Hawaii. It maps the sit-down restaurants 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.

Sit-down restaurants in other states

All 51 states

Top markets for sit-down restaurants across the U.S. · All business types in Hawaii

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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.