The restaurant industry in Arizona is booming

The Arizona restaurant industry suffered during the COVID years due to mandated closures and the ensuing labor and supply shortages as well as inventory price hikes.

But now, the Arizona Restaurant Association (ARA) is reporting some incredible stats that clearly exemplify that dining out is back and more in-demand than ever. Arizona is said to make $23 billion in restaurant sales by the end of 2024.

The population growth in the Grand Canyon State, which significantly impacts this, along with local restaurants expanding into chain franchises, “When you add all the numbers together our daily parrels is over $20 million just right here in Arizona with almost 300,000 people we employ. And we’ve got about 12,000 restaurants now,” said Steve Chucri, President and CEO of Arizona Restaurant Association.

According to Chucri, the key to having a successful restaurant has many factors from the ambiance to the food quality and mostly comes down to consumers being “very selective in what they want, and if they don’t get it when they go to a restaurant, they’re going to go elsewhere.”

While the numbers have improved, technology will have an impact on jobs within the restaurant industry, including the likelihood of AI taking over drive-throughs and “quick service restaurants” as well as technology helping with the behind-the-scenes aspect of running a restaurant.