MenuSpy / City reports / Florida / Port St. Lucie
Florida market data · October 2026
Port St. Lucie, FL restaurant market: licenses, season and rules
How many places serve food across Port St. Lucie, Stuart, 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.
Port St. Lucie has 1,122 licensed food service places with 88,475 seats, 19.7 for every 10,000 residents (below Florida's 22.7). Restaurant sales run highest in April (1.25× an average month) and lowest in October (0.88×). The metro grew 2.1% in the latest year, to 568,721 residents.
When diners show up
Port St. Lucie restaurant sales follow a winter and spring season. The busiest month in the latest twelve was April 2025, 25% above an average month; the slowest was October 2025, 12% 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 | 1.25 | 1.03 | 1.01 | 0.94 | 0.91 | 0.92 | 0.88 | 1.05 | 0.92 | 1.07 | 1.03 | 1.00 |
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.
Port St. Lucie Oktoberfest
Saturday, Oct. 3, 5-9 p.m. · MIDFLORIDA Event Center, 9221 SE Event Center Place, Port St. Lucie · held every year
A free city festival evening in the Tradition area brings crowds out to eat and drink nearby.
Port St. Lucie Fall Fun Fest
Friday, Oct. 30, 5-10 p.m. through Sunday, Nov. 1, 1-6 p.m. · MIDFLORIDA Event Center, Port St. Lucie · held every year
A Halloween weekend festival with rides and trick-or-treating brings families out in Port St. Lucie.
2026 Stuart Air Show
November 13-15, 2026 · Witham Field, Stuart · held every year
A weekend air show at the Stuart airport brings large crowds who eat out in Stuart and nearby towns.
Port St. Lucie International Fest
Saturday, Nov. 21, 5-9 p.m. · MIDFLORIDA Event Center, Port St. Lucie · held every year
A city food and culture festival puts a spotlight on dining in Port St. Lucie for an evening.
53rd Annual Stuart Boat Show
January 15-17, 2027 · Stuart · held every year
A winter boat show weekend brings out-of-town visitors to Stuart restaurants.
New York Mets Spring Training home games
Opens Friday, February 19, 2027 (15 home games) · Clover Park, Port St. Lucie · held every year
Home games bring visiting fans to Port St. Lucie restaurants around Clover Park and St. Lucie West.
St. Lucie County Fair
Friday, February 26 through Sunday, March 07, 2027 · St. Lucie County Fairgrounds, Fort Pierce · held every year
The county fair draws families from across the Treasure Coast to the Fort Pierce area for more than a week.
Who is already serving here
Port St. Lucie has 1,122 licensed food service places: 998 with seating and 124 without (counters, kiosks, take-out kitchens), plus 284 food trucks and carts. Between July 1, 2026 to October 1, 2026, DBPR approved 21 new food service licenses and 29 ownership changes here.
| County | Residents 2025 | Licensed places | Seats | Per 10,000 | Food trucks and carts | New licenses | Sales tax 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martin | 166,272 | 475 | 43,485 | 28.6 | 75 | 7 | 6.5% |
| St. Lucie | 402,449 | 647 | 44,990 | 16.1 | 209 | 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
42 prices read from 12 independent menus in Jensen Beach, Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie, Stuart, Palm City 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 | 6 | $12.75 | $17.49 | $25.00 |
| Chicken sandwich | 10 | $12.95 | $15.50 | $19.00 |
| Taco plate (3 tacos) | 2 | $15.99 | fewer than 3 menus | $21.00 |
| Large cheese pizza | 3 | $17.95 | $18.00 | $18.00 |
| Wings (10 or closest count) | 6 | $14.95 | $17.99 | $19.00 |
| Cuban sandwich | 2 | $13.25 | fewer than 3 menus | $17.00 |
| Breakfast plate (2 eggs, meat, side) | 2 | $9.50 | fewer than 3 menus | $13.99 |
| Entree salad with protein | 9 | $12.99 | $17.00 | $28.00 |
| Draft beer (pint) | 1 | $6.00 | fewer than 3 menus | $6.00 |
| Fountain soda | 1 | $4.00 | fewer than 3 menus | $4.00 |
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: 6.5% to 7.0%
Martin County 6.5%, St. Lucie 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.
Down to 0.5% for 2026: the 0.5% school surtax expired Dec 31, 2025; the 0.5% infrastructure surtax runs to 2034.
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: 12 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 Port St. Lucie?
The $79 local area report researches one address or neighborhood in Port St. Lucie: 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 Port St. Lucie, Florida?
Florida's DBPR lists 1,122 current, active permanent food service licenses in the Port St. Lucie metro area (Martin, St. Lucie counties), with 88,475 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 Port St. Lucie?
In Florida Department of Revenue sales for April 2025 to March 2026, Port St. Lucie restaurant sales peaked in April at 1.25× an average month and were lowest in October at 0.88×. 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 Port St. Lucie?
6.5% to 7.0% in 2026: the 6% Florida rate plus the county surtax (Martin County 6.5%, St. Lucie County 7.0%). No local meal tax applies here.
What is the minimum wage for restaurant workers in Port St. Lucie?
$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 Port St. Lucie?
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 Port St. Lucie charge for common menu items?
On menus we read on October 2, 2026: chicken sandwich $12.95 to $19.00 (median $15.50) across 10 menus; entree salad with protein $12.99 to $28.00 (median $17.00) across 9 menus; cheeseburger $12.75 to $25.00 (median $17.49) across 6 menus. Prices come from each restaurant's own website or ordering page, not delivery apps.
What events bring diners out in Port St. Lucie?
Confirmed on organizer pages: Port St. Lucie Oktoberfest (Saturday, Oct. 3, 5-9 p.m.); Port St. Lucie Fall Fun Fest (Friday, Oct. 30, 5-10 p.m. through Sunday, Nov. 1, 1-6 p.m.); 2026 Stuart Air Show (November 13-15, 2026); Port St. Lucie International Fest (Saturday, Nov. 21, 5-9 p.m.).
More Florida markets
Florida restaurant market data
All 22 metros and 67 counties in one table, with a CSV.
the Treasure CoastVero Beach, FL
399 licensed places · 23.1 per 10,000 residents
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
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.