Those Who Serve Food Skip Their Own Meals: 61% of Restaurant Workers in the U.S. Struggle to Access Food

A striking data point is emerging in the discussion of employee welfare in the restaurant sector: 61% of hourly restaurant workers in the U.S. report skipping multiple meals a week due to not being able to afford food in the past month. The same study indicates that 75% of workers live paycheck to paycheck, with this rate rising to 83% among non-managerial employees.

The data highlighted by Food & Wine on July 9, 2026, is based on the 2026 State of Hourly Restaurant Workers Study conducted by Instant Financial. The study was carried out by the Center for Generational Kinetics. The research, conducted between March 3-31, 2026, with 750 hourly restaurant workers aged 16-65 across the U.S., was weighted according to age, region, gender, and geography based on the 2020 U.S. Census. The reported margin of error is plus/minus 3.58 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.

Therefore, it is not accurate to generalize the 61% figure to restaurant workers worldwide. The data represents a specific research sample of hourly restaurant workers in the U.S.

Nonetheless, the scale of the results indicates that the economic vulnerability of workers is not merely a social issue for restaurant businesses. It presents a human resources problem that should also be evaluated in terms of employee retention, concentration, engagement, and employer branding.

The Issue is Not Just Skipping Meals

Other findings from the study show that economic pressure is not limited to a single expense item.

While 97% of participants report experiencing some level of financial stress, 63% indicate that they experience this stress constantly or frequently. Additionally, 79% of workers have resorted to at least one financial solution in the past three months due to needing money before payday. These include payday loans, overdrawing bank accounts, and cash advances from credit cards.

The study also notes that employees using payday loans pay an average of $117 in fees and interest. According to the data reported by Food & Wine, the average savings workers can set aside per paycheck is $92.

This scenario suggests that even a small unexpected expense can quickly escalate into a larger problem for employees.

The economic data surrounding the study period also supports the backdrop of this pressure. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, consumer prices rose by 4.2% in May 2026 compared to the same month the previous year; the annual increase in dining out prices was 3.5%. BLS data shows that real average hourly earnings declined compared to a year earlier.

In the most recent July data published on August 12, 2026, the annual increase in overall consumer inflation and dining out prices stands at 3.4%. Thus, while price pressure has decreased from the levels in May, the financial vulnerability reported by restaurant workers in the study is not an issue that can be explained by a single month's inflation data.

Food Insecurity is More than a Paradox for the Sector; It's an Operational Issue

The inability of workers who prepare or serve food to afford their own meals creates a striking contradiction. However, from a business perspective, the issue is more concrete.

Hunger or financial anxiety can affect workers' physical and mental capacity during service. Broader research literature cited by Food & Wine indicates that food insecurity among workers can lead to increased distraction on the job.

Current data from Giving Kitchen, which supports workers in crisis, also shows that economic vulnerability is not limited to this survey. The organization reports that it has contributed to preventing food insecurity for 71% of its clients receiving financial assistance; it has reached 40,000 food service workers to date. While these are the organization's own impact measurements, they provide additional evidence that restaurant workers continue to need support for housing, food, and unexpected expenses.

Employee Meals Should No Longer Be Seen Just as Operational Perks

One of the most direct issues raised by the data for restaurant businesses is the employee meal policy.

While in many establishments, staff meals are seen as a natural part of operations, the system is not the same everywhere. There can be different practices such as free meals, discounted food, pre-shift communal staff meals, or meals provided only during certain shifts.

In an environment where a significant portion of employees struggles with basic food expenses, staff meals become a seemingly small but directly impactful benefit on disposable income.

Not having to cover meal expenses out of pocket during a shift does not replace a wage increase. However, a well-designed employee meal program can reduce daily food costs and facilitate access to regular nutrition during long shifts.

From a business perspective, the system does not need to be uncontrolled. Separate recipes, portion standards, service times, and budgets can be established for staff meals. The use of safe raw materials that are available but do not meet service standards can also be planned while adhering to food safety regulations.

The goal here should not be to provide employees with "surplus products" but to design employee meals as a planned benefit.

When Wages Are Accessible is Also Up for Discussion

One of the solutions highlighted by the Instant Financial study is allowing employees to access their earned wages without waiting for payday.

In the study, 81% of participants say that this application, referred to as on-demand pay, should be one of the standard employee benefits. Meanwhile, 77% indicate that they would be more likely to stay longer at a job with such an option.

However, there is a significant potential for conflict of interest here.

The study's funder, Instant Financial, is a commercial fintech company that sells services such as early wage access and instant tip payments to the restaurant and other hourly worker sectors. Therefore, while the data regarding workers' financial struggles in the report is noteworthy, the results that highlight the company's own product category as a solution should not be read as independent research findings. Instant Financial also states in its corporate communication that it offers "earned wage access," digital tipping, and payment solutions to restaurant businesses.

Early wage access can be beneficial for employees facing cash flow problems. However, it does not solve the low-income issue on its own.

An employee may access their earned money earlier, but if their total monthly income still does not cover their basic needs, the history of the problem changes, but its magnitude does not.

What Indicators Should Businesses Look At?

For restaurant managers, merely monitoring employee turnover rates may not be sufficient to understand employee financial well-being.

When considering tardiness and shift cancellations, the rate of employees working second jobs, the use of staff meals, advance requests, overtime needs, employee satisfaction, and reasons for leaving, a more meaningful picture can emerge.

The aim here is not to monitor employees' personal finances. It is to understand whether the business's wage and benefit policy is adequate under real working conditions.

Especially in the restaurant sector, income can vary significantly due to hourly wages, tips, number of shifts, and intensity, making employees' monthly earnings potentially more volatile than the hourly wage level on paper.

It Would Not Be Accurate to Make Direct Comparisons for Turkey

It is not possible to transfer the 61% or 75% figures from the U.S. study to the Turkish restaurant sector. The research was conducted solely in the U.S., and the two countries differ in wages, tips, social security, meal assistance, and working systems.

However, the management questions that can be asked from the perspective of businesses in Turkey are similar.

Is the staff meal truly sufficient? Is there a real break time during which the employee can eat during their shift? Is the wage policy determined solely based on market averages, or is the cost of retaining employees also taken into account? Is the service charge and tipping system understandable by the team? Is there a corporate advance or support mechanism for employees facing unexpected economic issues?

These are questions of operational sustainability as much as social policy.

Stafflink's Perspective

The difficulty restaurant workers face in affording their own meals while serving food serves as a strong warning for the sector. However, seeking a solution in a single benefit or financial product would be insufficient.

Employee meals, early wage access, or advance systems may alleviate short-term pressure. The fundamental equation lies in the relationship between total income, working hours, shift stability, and cost of living.

For businesses, the cost of raising employee wages is visible. However, the cost of high employee turnover is often less visible because it is distributed across various budget items: continuous hiring, training time, inexperienced teams, overtime, service errors, and management time spent on training new staff.

In our view, considering employee well-being solely as a "social" aspect of human resources is therefore insufficient. A business model that sustainably meets employees' basic needs is also the foundation for staff retention and service quality.