NAICS 722511

Full-Service Restaurants in Arroyo Grande, CA

The 1 ZIP codes assigned to Arroyo Grande contained 17 Restaurants establishments in 2023, of which 10 employed 10 or more people.

Establishments (2023)
17
1 ZIP codes
10 or more employees
10
Practical financing floor
Share of county
5%
San Luis Obispo County
City population
18,123
2025 estimate

Figures cover the ZIP codes the U.S. Postal Service assigns to Arroyo Grande (93420). ZIP areas are not municipal boundaries: they can extend beyond city limits and are shared between neighbouring places. This is a count of establishments in Arroyo Grande's ZIP codes, not a count of businesses inside its city limits.

Establishments by size

Employee-count distribution. For most buyers the businesses worth pursuing sit in the 5 to 49 range: large enough to have a manager and real systems, small enough to be owner-operated.

EmployeesEstablishmentsShareDistribution
5-9423.5%
10-19635.3%
20-49423.5%

How this market compares

Arroyo Grande against every other city in California on the same measure. City figures cover the ZIP codes assigned to the place rather than its municipal boundary, so they are compared as a share of the businesses in those same ZIP codes rather than per resident. Cities with fewer than 500 businesses in total are left unranked.

Below average1.90% of local businesses, against 3.01% statewide

A smaller slice of the local business base than the statewide share. Often an underserved market, though it can also mean the work is done by firms based in a neighbouring town.

Vs state share
-37%
Share of local businesses
Rank by count
#303
of 419 cities
Rank by share
#275
of 301 ranked
Since 2020
-6%
Change in establishments

This compares how much of Arroyo Grande’s business base is full-service restaurants, against the California figure. Base: 896 establishments across all industries in the same ZIP codes, 2023. It does not measure revenue, profitability or whether a market is worth entering.

Business size mix

Arroyo Grande is more consolidated than California as a whole: fewer micro-operators and a larger share of businesses with real headcount. Fewer targets, but the ones that exist are more likely to be financeable.

Share of establishmentsArroyo GrandeCaliforniaDifference
Under 5 employeesOwner-operated, often no management layer0.0%23.5%-23.5%
5 to 49 employeesThe range most individual buyers target82.4%62.8%+19.6%
10 or more employeesPractical floor for acquisition financing58.8%52.8%+6.1%

Nearest comparable markets

The closest places to Arroyo Grande that also have Restaurants establishments on record. Useful for spotting a gap next door, or realising the market you are looking at is already served from the town over.

MarketEstablishmentsVs state share
Grover Beach21n/a
Pismo Beach34n/a
San Luis Obispo76-5%
Santa Maria76-10%
Morro Bay28n/a

The wider San Luis Obispo County market

Employment and payroll are reported at county level only, so the figures below describe the county Arroyo Grande sits in.

County establishments (2023)
351
San Luis Obispo County
County employees
6,653
Mid-March employment
County annual payroll
$206M
All establishments
Full Restaurants data for San Luis Obispo County

What acquirers look at

The highest-turnover category in the index and the weakest lending profile. Lease terms and liquor license transfer usually matter more than the P&L.

Other industries in Arroyo Grande

Nearby cities

Sources

  1. U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 ZIP Code Business Patterns. Establishment counts and size distribution by ZIP code and NAICS, aggregated over the ZIP codes assigned to each city. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
  2. U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 County Business Patterns. Establishment counts, employment and annual payroll by NAICS. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
  3. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (2026Q1). Quarterly establishment counts and employment for employers covered by unemployment insurance. Retrieved 2026-09-08.