MenuSpy / City reports / Florida / Naples
Florida market data · October 2026
Naples, FL restaurant market: licenses, season and rules
How many places serve food across Naples, Marco Island, 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.
Naples has 1,196 licensed food service places with 131,359 seats, 28.7 for every 10,000 residents (above Florida's 22.7). Restaurant sales run highest in April (1.46× an average month) and lowest in October (0.68×). The metro grew 0.1% in the latest year, to 417,131 residents.
When diners show up
Naples restaurant sales follow a winter and spring season. The busiest month in the latest twelve was April 2025, 46% above an average month; the slowest was October 2025, 32% below. Statewide, the same months ran 1.15× and 0.90×.
| 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 | 1.46 | 1.18 | 0.93 | 0.74 | 0.73 | 0.77 | 0.68 | 0.85 | 0.97 | 1.18 | 1.23 | 1.29 |
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.
Naples Stone Crab Festival
Sat, Oct 24 2026, 10am - 9:30pm · Tin City, Naples · held every year
The festival marks the start of stone crab season and pulls crowds to the Tin City waterfront, a strong seafood weekend for nearby kitchens.
CME Group Tour Championship (LPGA)
November 19-22, 2026 · Tiburon Golf Club, Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples · held every year
The LPGA season finale brings players, staff and spectators to North Naples for a week, lifting hotel and restaurant demand.
Grant Thornton Invitational
December 7 - 13, 2026 · Tiburon Golf Club and The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburon · held every year
A televised team golf event fills North Naples with visitors in early December, ahead of the holiday dining rush.
City of Naples Christmas Parade
Tue, Dec 8 2026, 6:30 - 8pm · 5th Avenue South, downtown Naples · held every year
The evening parade runs down 5th Avenue South, packing downtown restaurants before and after.
Naples New Year's Art Fair
January 2 - 3, 2027 · Cambier Park, Naples · held every year
An outdoor art fair two blocks from 5th Avenue South keeps downtown lunch traffic high on the first weekend of the year.
Swamp Buggy Races: Winter Classic
Sunday, January 24, 2027 · Florida Sports Park, Naples · held every year
Race day draws local crowds east of Naples toward the Collier Blvd and Golden Gate area, a lift for casual spots on the way.
Naples Winter Wine Festival
January 29 - 31, 2027 · The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburon · held every year
The charity wine weekend brings high-spending visitors and vintner dinners to Naples, a premium weekend for fine dining.
Naples National Art Fair
February 19-21, 2027 · Cambier Park, Naples · held every year
A large juried art fair in peak season fills downtown Naples, lifting lunch and dinner traffic around 5th Avenue South.
Swamp Buggy Races: Coors Banquet Cup Finals
April 3, 2027 · Florida Sports Park, Naples · held every year
The season finale race brings another crowd east of Naples, good for casual restaurants along Collier Blvd.
US Open Pickleball Championships
April 17 - 24, 2027 · East Naples Community Park, Naples · held every year
A week-long national tournament brings players and fans into East Naples, a busy week for nearby restaurants.
Who is already serving here
Naples has 1,196 licensed food service places: 1,108 with seating and 88 without (counters, kiosks, take-out kitchens), plus 103 food trucks and carts. Between July 1, 2026 to October 1, 2026, DBPR approved 16 new food service licenses and 16 ownership changes here.
| County | Residents 2025 | Licensed places | Seats | Per 10,000 | Food trucks and carts | New licenses | Sales tax 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collier | 417,131 | 1,196 | 131,359 | 28.7 | 103 | 16 | 6.0% |
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
21 prices read from 6 independent menus in Naples, Marco Island 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 | 3 | $11.99 | $14.49 | $16.95 |
| Chicken sandwich | 4 | $14.49 | $14.99 | $22.00 |
| Taco plate (3 tacos) | 1 | $17.95 | fewer than 3 menus | $17.95 |
| Large cheese pizza | 0 | not observed yet | ||
| Wings (10 or closest count) | 1 | $14.99 | fewer than 3 menus | $14.99 |
| Cuban sandwich | 3 | $15.49 | $16.95 | $17.95 |
| Breakfast plate (2 eggs, meat, side) | 1 | $12.99 | fewer than 3 menus | $12.99 |
| Entree salad with protein | 6 | $13.99 | $17.96 | $18.99 |
| Draft beer (pint) | 1 | $7.00 | fewer than 3 menus | $7.00 |
| Fountain soda | 1 | $3.50 | fewer than 3 menus | $3.50 |
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: 6.0%
Collier County 6.0%. 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.
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: 6 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 Naples?
The $79 local area report researches one address or neighborhood in Naples: 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 Naples, Florida?
Florida's DBPR lists 1,196 current, active permanent food service licenses in the Naples-Marco Island metro area (Collier County), with 131,359 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 Naples?
In Florida Department of Revenue sales for April 2025 to March 2026, Naples restaurant sales peaked in April at 1.46× an average month and were lowest in October at 0.68×. 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 Naples?
6.0% in 2026: the 6% Florida rate plus the county surtax (Collier County 6.0%). No local meal tax applies here.
What is the minimum wage for restaurant workers in Naples?
$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 Naples?
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 Naples charge for common menu items?
On menus we read on October 2, 2026: entree salad with protein $13.99 to $18.99 (median $17.96) across 6 menus; chicken sandwich $14.49 to $22.00 (median $14.99) across 4 menus; cheeseburger $11.99 to $16.95 (median $14.49) across 3 menus. Prices come from each restaurant's own website or ordering page, not delivery apps.
What events bring diners out in Naples?
Confirmed on organizer pages: Naples Stone Crab Festival (Sat, Oct 24 2026, 10am - 9:30pm); CME Group Tour Championship (LPGA) (November 19-22, 2026); Grant Thornton Invitational (December 7 - 13, 2026); City of Naples Christmas Parade (Tue, Dec 8 2026, 6:30 - 8pm).
More Florida markets
Florida restaurant market data
All 22 metros and 67 counties in one table, with a CSV.
Southwest FloridaSarasota-Bradenton, FL
2,120 licensed places · 22.4 per 10,000 residents
Southwest FloridaCape Coral-Fort Myers, FL
1,962 licensed places · 22.4 per 10,000 residents
Southwest FloridaPunta Gorda, FL
426 licensed places · 19.6 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.