Running a restaurant has never been more about the people behind it. Labor is your largest controllable cost, turnover is relentless, and the old playbook — hire more to grow — no longer works. The 2026 Restaurant Workforce Benchmark Report cuts through the noise with real data on restaurant hiring, employee turnover, and staffing trends, so you can stop guessing and start planning.
Built for multi-location restaurant operators, general managers, and owners, this report benchmarks your workforce against roughly 3,500 hospitality businesses across the US and Canada. Inside, you'll find documented turnover rates by role, the seasonal hiring and departure patterns that repeat every year, and the external forces — from immigration to minimum wage — reshaping restaurant staffing in 2026. Whether you run one location or thirty, it's the clearest picture available of where the restaurant workforce stands this year, and what to do about it.
