Bites & Bytes: Local F&B BTN

Raleigh is hungry—and a resilient city has responded by serving up a banner year. Now the world is taking notice. Recently billed as the Best Performing Large City by Milken Institute, Raleigh’s “strategic advancements in the tourism and hospitality industry elevate our region and amplify why Wake County is a preferred destination for leisure and business travelers alike,” said Visit Raleigh President and CEO Dennis Edwards upon the recent release of its Wake County 2024 Tourism Industry Report—and on the heels of Downtown Raleigh Alliance’s Q4 2024 market report. Here, take a bite out of Greater Raleigh’s vibrant food & beverage scene by the numbers. 

↑5.7% from 2023

Prepared food and beverage tax and hotel lodging hauls shattered records, raking in a staggering $87.45 million—marking the strongest calendar year yet.

425

Turning the city into an action-packed hub and drawing ~665,000 attendees alongside a slew of local F&B vendors, Visit Raleigh and the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance hosted 425 events, tourneys, conferences and fests in 2024. 

$314M

Est. DTR F&B sales July 2023–24, a 16% YoY increase and 30% over 2019 for all of Wake County

268+

F&B establishments now in Downtown alone

29+

Restaurants and bars recently opened Downtown, with 184 storefront businesses bowing—including F&B—since 2020, and 28 more coming online soon