It Would Take 134.5 years To Eat At Every Restaurant In NYC

According to data from Google Maps, there are 48,960 restaurants across all five boroughs of New York City. This total includes restaurants, cafes, coffee and tea shops, and other establishments related to food and dining.

If you could eat at one restaurant every single day without any breaks or repeats, it would take 134.5 years. Let’s break down the calculation:

• Number of restaurants in NYC: There are roughly 48,960 restaurants in New York City.
• How long you’d need: If you ate at one restaurant every day, you’d reach 48,960 restaurants in 48,960 days.

Now, to convert days into years:

48,960 days ÷ 365 days/year = approximately 134.5 years

So, it would exactly take 134.5 years, if you ate at one restaurant every day without missing any days or repeating. Crazy!

How many restaurant are actually there in New York City?

Estimates for the total number of restaurants in New York City vary significantly, ranging from 20,000 to 50,000.

According to New York State Department of Labor, the number of restaurants in New York has almost doubled from 2000 to 2023, reaching over 20,000 restaurants by 2023.

As per Yelp Listings 2023, there are over 27,000 restaurant-related businesses or food and drinking establishments. Manhattan tops the list with 10,455, followed by Brooklyn with 8,496, and Queens with 5,921.

By the time we finish writing this article, some restaurants may have closed while others may have opened. Therefore, knowing the exact number of restaurants in NYC would be purely speculative.

Most popular restaurant types in New York

The most popular types of restaurants in New York City vary due to its diverse population and vibrant culinary scene. Some of the most common and popular restaurant types include:

1. Mexican – With over 5000, Mexican cuisine restaurants are the highest in NYC. With a growing demand for tacos, burritos, and other Mexican staples, Mexican cuisines are widely enjoyed across the city.
2. Chinese – Next is the Chinese cuisine. The city has a rich array of Chinese restaurants, especially in Chinatown, offering everything from dim sum, noodles to Peking duck.
3. Italian – Currently, there are 2000 plus Italian cuisine restaurants. From pasta to pizza, Italian restaurants are ubiquitous, ranging from casual trattorias to high-end dining.
4. Japanese – There are over 1300 Japanese cuisine restaurants in NY. The city’s sushi scene is vibrant, with a wide range of options, from casual sushi bars to high-end omakase.
5. Pizza destinations – The city is home to approximately 6,700 pizza restaurants, making it one of the top pizza destinations in the world.
6. Brunch spots – NYC is famous for its brunch culture, with countless restaurants serving everything from avocado toast to decadent waffles.

Conclusion

There are approximately 48,000 restaurants in NYC. By the time you’ve visited them all, some will have closed and new ones will have opened. So, it’s nearly impossible to pinpoint the exact number or to dine at every single restaurant.

If you had 3 meals a day at different restaurants, you’d visit 720 restaurants in a year. If you dined at 6 restaurants each day, you’d visit 1,500 restaurants annually. At that pace, it would take you 22.4 years to cover all 48,000.

Could you do it?