Dining Out In Washington State Costs More Than Anywhere Else

You've just finished dinner for two at a restaurant in town.  The food was good, you didn't order much, say a burger, a half order of nachos and a pair of adult beverages (not cocktails).  The bill comes...and it is over $50.  Welcome to eating out in Washington State.

If you think I'm exaggerating, this report from the Washington Hospitality Association says otherwise.  While the obvious driver of the high cost of dining is in Seattle (and to be fair, the surrounding area), the State as a whole is expensive.

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Menu prices in the Emerald City are 17% higher than the AVERAGE for the 20 largest cities in the U.S.  That is a stratosphere only shared by San Francisco and New York City.  Before you start blaming tariffs, inflation, or anything else that's easy to point at the National level, take these numbers into consideration.

States in the midwest (Kansas & Oklahoma specifically) are almost 6% cheaper than the National dining out average.  27 of the lower 48 states are below the National average.  Washington State and California are the only two that are double digits above that same average with Oregon the only other state higher than 6% above average.

Washington State is 13.6% higher than the national average for the cost of dining out.  Anthony Anton, President and CEO of the WHA said this about the results:

It's not surprising, yet still incredibly disappointing to see Washington state is the least affordable restaurant state in the country. We need to work harder to help policy makers understand that their consistent actions to increase costs are having a real impact on Washington families.

That's An Astute Observation...

...but the people who need to listen aren't.  The highest minimum wage in the Country ($16.66 per hour and set to go up in 2026), the high taxes on business, the increasing sales taxes around the State, and the cost of gas (supplies have to get places somehow...) all get passed on to those going out for a meal.

A place I've gone to for years to eat breakfast has increased their prices by a minimum of $5 per menu item over the last two years alone.  Even during COVID they stayed pretty close to the usual price.  If you can eat lunch in the Tri-Cities for $15 or less (excluding fast food, but barely) you need to share where.

The worst part is this cocktail creates a tough business climate, especially for local restaurants.  The more of them that close, the less options you have and the more the franchises benefit.  It also paints a rough sustainability picture for franchises that aren't here to want to come in or other locals interested in starting up an eatery.

You can unpack all the info in the report for yourself by clicking here.