NAICS 722511
Full-Service Restaurants in Atwater, CA
The 1 ZIP codes assigned to Atwater contained 19 Restaurants establishments in 2023, of which 11 employed 10 or more people.
- Establishments (2023)
- 19
- 1 ZIP codes
- 10 or more employees
- 11
- Practical financing floor
- Share of county
- 16%
- Merced County
- City population
- 32,133
- 2025 estimate
Figures cover the ZIP codes the U.S. Postal Service assigns to Atwater (95301). 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 Atwater'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.
| Employees | Establishments | Share | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-4 | 5 | 26.3% | |
| 5-9 | 3 | 15.8% | |
| 10-19 | 7 | 36.8% | |
| 20-49 | 4 | 21.1% |
Business size mix
Atwater tracks the California size distribution closely.
| Share of establishments | Atwater | California | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 employeesOwner-operated, often no management layer | 26.3% | 23.5% | +2.8% |
| 5 to 49 employeesThe range most individual buyers target | 73.7% | 62.8% | +10.9% |
| 10 or more employeesPractical floor for acquisition financing | 57.9% | 52.8% | +5.1% |
Nearest comparable markets
The closest places to Atwater 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.
| Market | Establishments | Vs state share |
|---|---|---|
| Merced | 58 | +16% |
| Livingston | 5 | n/a |
| Turlock | 67 | +23% |
| Waterford | 6 | n/a |
| Hughson | 4 | n/a |
The wider Merced County market
Employment and payroll are reported at county level only, so the figures below describe the county Atwater sits in.
- County establishments (2023)
- 117
- Merced County
- County employees
- 1,581
- Mid-March employment
- County annual payroll
- $42M
- All establishments
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 Atwater
Nearby cities
Sources
- 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.
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 County Business Patterns. Establishment counts, employment and annual payroll by NAICS. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
- 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.