MenuSpy / City reports / Phoenix, AZ
Market snapshot · October 2026
Phoenix, AZ restaurant market snapshot
What local menus charge, which weeks fill the town, and which rules change the math, for operators in Phoenix, AZ. Every number links to the page it came from.
In Phoenix, AZ (checked October 2026), we read 3 prices from 1 local menus. Restaurant meals are taxed at 8.90%, the minimum wage is $15.15 per hour, and 2 events have published dates in the next twelve months.
WM Phoenix Open 2026 charitable raise (organizer page): record $20.1 million for local charities (2026 tournament) source
Population and income: US Census QuickFacts.
Observed menu prices
3 prices read from 1 independent menu on October 1, 2026, from the restaurants' own websites or first-party ordering pages. Delivery-app prices are excluded. A median is shown only when three or more observations exist. This is a small sample; use it as a range check, not a rule.
| Benchmark item | Observations | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taco plate (3 tacos) | 1 | $3.99 | n too small | $3.99 |
| Breakfast plate (2 eggs, meat, side) | 1 | $11.00 | n too small | $11.00 |
| Fountain soda | 1 | $3.00 | n too small | $3.00 |
Part of the MenuSpy Menu Price Index. Restaurant names are kept in our source file and not published; a paid report names them and links each menu.
The next 12 months
Dates come from organizer or official pages opened on October 1, 2026. An event with a published 2026 or 2027 date is marked confirmed. Everything else is a recurring pattern with its date not yet announced, listed so you can watch for it, not staff for it.
Confirmed dates
Arizona State Fair 2026
Thu - Sun, Oct 1 - Nov 1, 2026, 1826 W. McDowell Rd, Phoenix · Arizona State Fair
A month of Thursday-Sunday fair crowds competes with and spills over to central Phoenix restaurants.
WM Phoenix Open 2027
FEBRUARY 8-14, 2027, TPC Scottsdale · WM Phoenix Open / The Thunderbirds
The highest-attended golf tournament week in the country floods Scottsdale and north Phoenix restaurants and bars.
Rules that hit the P&L
Minimum wage: $15.15 per hour
Effective January 1, 2026. Arizona indexes its rate each January. The tipped figure was not stated on the page checked; confirm with the ICA poster.
Sales tax on restaurant meals: 8.90%
AZDOR TPT rate table effective January 1, 2026: Table 1 Maricopa County, Restaurants and Bars (business code 011) 6.10% (document header states base state rate 5.6%); Table 2 City of Phoenix code 011 2.80%. City of Phoenix finance bulletin: restaurants and bars rate increased from 2.30% to 2.80% effective July 1, 2025. Sum 6.10% + 2.80% = 8.90%.
Food service license
The licensing agency for this city was not confirmed when this page was checked. Start with the county or state health department.
Local signals
Recent local reporting on the Phoenix restaurant scene. One article is a signal, not a trend; a trend needs two independent publishers.
August 2026: Palo Verde Lounge closes after 62 years; three downtown Chandler restaurants shut at once
PHOENIX magazine's August roundup lists openings including Roman God of Fire (Tempe), Stray Café (Phoenix) and Cien Agaves (Chandler), against closures of the 62-year-old Palo Verde Lounge in Tempe and Recreo, Tipsy Egg and The Uncommon in downtown Chandler.
Coverage and limits
This is a dated snapshot built from public pages opened on October 1, 2026. It is not a sales forecast, legal advice or a site approval. Menus, calendars and rules change; open the linked source before acting.
Not confirmed when this page was checked:
- Arizona tipped minimum wage (tip credit) not confirmed from a fetched page.
- Food service licensing agency (Maricopa County Environmental Services) page not fetched within budget.
- No official tourism bureau visitor figure captured.
- Events: Cactus League spring training, Suns season, Phoenix Pride not fetched; only 2 events captured.
- Only one 2026 local-news signal captured.
- Price observations: only 3 from 1 restaurant (CC's on Central Toast page said online ordering unavailable); no cheeseburger, chicken sandwich, pizza, wings, Cuban, salad with protein, or draft beer captured.
Questions operators ask
What is the sales tax on restaurant meals in Phoenix, AZ?
8.90%. AZDOR TPT rate table effective January 1, 2026: Table 1 Maricopa County, Restaurants and Bars.
What is the minimum wage for restaurant workers in Phoenix?
$15.15 per hour, effective January 1, 2026. Arizona indexes its rate each January. The tipped figure was not stated on the page checked; confirm with the ICA poster.
Want this for one restaurant in Phoenix?
A one-time $79 report names the nearby menus, links every price, lists a year of local dates and the rules that apply to your address. Sources linked. No account.
Related: all city reports · menu price index · restaurant pricing strategy guide