Independent Restaurant Units Counts Shrank By 2.3% In 2025, While 9% of Full-Service Units Could Close In 2026

To say that it’s the worst of times for smaller full-service restaurants may be an understatement. Data and research from two of the largest foodservice research firms detail the issues. Technomic reported that the number of independent restaurants in the US market dropped by 2.3% in 2025. The Chicago-based firm said there were 412,498 independents…