MenuSpy / City reports / Florida / Melbourne-Palm Bay
Florida market data · October 2026
Melbourne-Palm Bay, FL restaurant market: licenses, season and rules
How many places serve food across Melbourne, Palm Bay, Titusville, when diners show up, and which wage, tax and license rules apply. Built from Florida's own records and refreshed monthly; every number links to its source.
Melbourne-Palm Bay has 1,456 licensed food service places with 121,959 seats, 21.9 for every 10,000 residents (below Florida's 22.7). Restaurant sales run highest in April (1.14× an average month) and lowest in December (0.89×). The metro grew 1.2% in the latest year, to 663,982 residents.
When diners show up
Melbourne-Palm Bay restaurant sales follow fairly steady through the year. The busiest month in the latest twelve was April 2025, 14% above an average month; the slowest was December 2025, 11% below. Statewide, the same months ran 1.15× and 0.94×.
| Month (DOR report) | Apr 25 | May 25 | Jun 25 | Jul 25 | Aug 25 | Sep 25 | Oct 25 | Nov 25 | Dec 25 | Jan 26 | Feb 26 | Mar 26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales vs average month | 1.14 | 1.01 | 1.06 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.99 | 0.92 | 0.95 | 0.89 | 1.06 | 1.00 | 0.98 |
One year of sales can be moved by a storm or a one-off event; use it to plan staffing and an opening month, not as a forecast.
Dates that move diners
Confirmed dates from organizer or official pages, checked October 2, 2026. Only events with a published date are listed; annual ones say so.
Boo at the Zoo
October 3 - October 31 · Brevard Zoo, Melbourne · held every year
A family Halloween event on fall weekends that brings daytime crowds to the Wickham Road area.
Cocoa Village Fall Art & Craft Fair
10/17 - 10/18 · Historic Cocoa Village · held every year
A weekend street fair that fills the Cocoa Village dining district with shoppers.
Space Coast State Fair
Oct. 29 - Nov. 15, 2026 · 5775 Stadium Parkway, Viera · held every year
A multi-week county fair in Viera that draws families from across Brevard on evenings and weekends.
Space Coast Marathon & Half Marathon
Sunday November 22, 2026 · Cocoa riverfront · held every year
A race weekend that brings runners and families to Cocoa and nearby restaurants for pre-race and post-race meals.
Cocoa Village Brewer's Bash
February 6, 2027 (organizer page lists 2/06) · Cocoa Riverfront Park · held every year
A craft beer festival at the riverfront park that sends afternoon crowds into Cocoa Village restaurants.
Grant Seafood Festival
March 6 '27 - March 7 '27 · 4580 1st Street, Grant · held every year
A long-running seafood festival in south Brevard that draws weekend visitors through the Palm Bay area.
Who is already serving here
Melbourne-Palm Bay has 1,456 licensed food service places: 1,322 with seating and 134 without (counters, kiosks, take-out kitchens), plus 246 food trucks and carts. Between July 1, 2026 to October 1, 2026, DBPR approved 14 new food service licenses and 41 ownership changes here.
| County | Residents 2025 | Licensed places | Seats | Per 10,000 | Food trucks and carts | New licenses | Sales tax 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brevard | 663,982 | 1,456 | 121,959 | 21.9 | 246 | 14 | 7.0% |
Licensed places are current, active DBPR permanent food service licenses. That license also covers bars that serve food, so the count runs above a restaurant-only count.
What menus charge here
28 prices read from 9 independent menus in Melbourne, Cocoa Beach, Palm Bay, Titusville, Cocoa, Viera on October 2, 2026, from each restaurant's own website or first-party ordering page. Delivery-app prices are excluded. A median is shown only when three or more menus list the item.
| Benchmark item | Menus | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheeseburger | 2 | $16.49 | fewer than 3 menus | $18.00 |
| Chicken sandwich | 6 | $13.99 | $16.22 | $17.00 |
| Taco plate (3 tacos) | 2 | $14.25 | fewer than 3 menus | $18.49 |
| Large cheese pizza | 2 | $17.00 | fewer than 3 menus | $19.00 |
| Wings (10 or closest count) | 3 | $11.00 | $16.49 | $17.00 |
| Cuban sandwich | 3 | $15.95 | $16.99 | $22.00 |
| Breakfast plate (2 eggs, meat, side) | 1 | $12.00 | fewer than 3 menus | $12.00 |
| Entree salad with protein | 5 | $14.95 | $17.90 | $19.00 |
| Draft beer (pint) | 1 | $6.50 | fewer than 3 menus | $6.50 |
| Fountain soda | 3 | $2.59 | $3.00 | $4.50 |
Part of the MenuSpy Menu Price Index. Restaurant names stay in our source file and are not published; a paid report names them and links each menu. A small sample: use it as a range check, not a rule.
Rules that hit the P&L
Minimum wage: $15.00 per hour, tipped $11.98
The $15.00 rate runs from September 30, 2026 through December 31, 2027. The tipped direct wage is $15.00 minus the fixed 2003 tip credit of $3.02. Annual inflation adjustments resume in September 2027 and take effect the following January 1.
Sales tax on restaurant meals: 7.0%
Brevard County 7.0%. Restaurant meals are taxed at the 6% state rate plus the county surtax, including food sold to go. Service charges, minimum charges and corkage fees are taxable. A tip is not taxed when it is itemized separately and the restaurant keeps no part of it.
All of Brevard's 1% surtax is listed as expiring Dec 31, 2026. The 2026 form lists these as expiring. Check the 2027 form before January 1, 2027; a county can renew a surtax by vote.
Florida DOR Form DR-15DSS, Calendar Year 2026 · Florida DOR, Sales and use tax on restaurant sales (GT-800035)
Local meal tax: none
None applies here. State law lets only Miami-Dade County levy a food and beverage tax, and only Miami Beach, Bal Harbour and Surfside levy a resort tax on meals. Everywhere else, the state sales tax and county surtax are the whole tax on a restaurant check.
Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research, local government handbook
Food service license from DBPR
Every public food service establishment needs its own annual license from DBPR, priced by seats. New licenses and ownership changes also pay a $50 application fee. Each fee includes the $10 Hospitality Education Program fee.
| DBPR license | Annual fee |
|---|---|
| Non-seating | $242 |
| 1 to 49 seats | $262 |
| 50 to 149 seats | $273 |
| 150 to 249 seats | $294 |
| 250 to 349 seats | $315 |
| 350 to 499 seats | $336 |
| 500 or more seats | $357 |
| Food truck or cart | $347 |
| Caterer | $263 |
All Florida rules in one place: Florida restaurant rules for 2026.
What this page does not cover yet
- Menu prices: 9 menus is a small sample. Items marked "not observed yet" had no first-party price we could read.
- Local events: only dates published by an organizer are listed; festivals that announce late are added on the next check.
- Counts come from license records, not visits: a licensed place can be closed for renovation or open only in season.
Thinking about opening in Melbourne-Palm Bay?
The $79 local area report researches one address or neighborhood in Melbourne-Palm Bay: nearby menus and observed prices, a year of local dates, the rules that apply and local demand signals, with every source linked.
Already open? The restaurant report compares your menu with the menus near you.
Questions operators ask
How many restaurants are in Melbourne-Palm Bay, Florida?
Florida's DBPR lists 1,456 current, active permanent food service licenses in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville metro area (Brevard County), with 121,959 licensed seats, in its files dated September 28, 2026. The count includes bars that serve food, so it runs above a pure restaurant count.
When is the busy season for restaurants in Melbourne-Palm Bay?
In Florida Department of Revenue sales for April 2025 to March 2026, Melbourne-Palm Bay restaurant sales peaked in April at 1.14× an average month and were lowest in December at 0.89×. DOR reports a month when the tax is filed, generally about a month after the sales.
What is the sales tax on restaurant meals in Melbourne-Palm Bay?
7.0% in 2026: the 6% Florida rate plus the county surtax (Brevard County 7.0%). No local meal tax applies here.
What is the minimum wage for restaurant workers in Melbourne-Palm Bay?
$15.00 per hour from September 30, 2026 through December 31, 2027, and $11.98 for tipped employees (the fixed $3.02 tip credit). It is the same statewide.
How much is a restaurant license in Melbourne-Palm Bay?
DBPR's annual food service license runs $262 for 1 to 49 seats up to $357 for 500 or more, $242 with no seating, and $347 for a food truck or cart, plus a $50 application fee for a new license or new owner.
What do restaurants in Melbourne-Palm Bay charge for common menu items?
On menus we read on October 2, 2026: chicken sandwich $13.99 to $17.00 (median $16.22) across 6 menus; entree salad with protein $14.95 to $19.00 (median $17.90) across 5 menus; wings (10 or closest count) $11.00 to $17.00 (median $16.49) across 3 menus. Prices come from each restaurant's own website or ordering page, not delivery apps.
What events bring diners out in Melbourne-Palm Bay?
Confirmed on organizer pages: Boo at the Zoo (October 3 - October 31); Cocoa Village Fall Art & Craft Fair (10/17 - 10/18); Space Coast State Fair (Oct. 29 - Nov. 15, 2026); Space Coast Marathon & Half Marathon (Sunday November 22, 2026).
More Florida markets
Florida restaurant market data
All 22 metros and 67 counties in one table, with a CSV.
South FloridaMiami, FL
15,494 licensed places · 24.2 per 10,000 residents
Central FloridaOrlando, FL
7,621 licensed places · 25.8 per 10,000 residents
Tampa BayTampa Bay, FL
7,260 licensed places · 21.2 per 10,000 residents
Sources
- Florida DBPR, Division of Hotels and Restaurants: public records: active food service licensee files dated September 28, 2026. License type 2010, primary and secondary status 20 (current, active). Food trucks and carts: type 2014.
- DBPR new licenses and ownership changes: approvals July 1, 2026 to October 1, 2026.
- Florida Department of Revenue, Form 10 gross sales: Kind code 8: Restaurants, Lunchrooms, Catering Service, April 2025 to March 2026. DOR reports a month when the tax is filed, which generally trails the sales by about a month.
- U.S. Census Bureau population estimates: Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025).
- FloridaCommerce 2026 minimum wage poster; Florida DOR Form DR-15DSS, Calendar Year 2026; DBPR food service license fees.