NAICS 722511

Full-Service Restaurants in Modesto, CA

The 7 ZIP codes assigned to Modesto contained 160 Restaurants establishments in 2023, of which 81 employed 10 or more people.

Establishments (2023)
160
7 ZIP codes
10 or more employees
81
Practical financing floor
Share of county
51%
Stanislaus County
City population
219,652
2025 estimate

Figures cover the ZIP codes the U.S. Postal Service assigns to Modesto (95350, 95351, 95354, 95355, 95356, 95357, 95358). 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 Modesto'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
1-43018.8%
5-93320.6%
10-194830.0%
20-492918.1%
100-24942.5%

How this market compares

Modesto 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.

Typical2.96% of local businesses, against 3.01% statewide

About the same slice of the local business base as the industry holds statewide.

Vs state share
-2%
Share of local businesses
Rank by count
#27
of 419 cities
Rank by share
#161
of 301 ranked
Since 2020
-5%
Change in establishments

This compares how much of Modesto’s business base is full-service restaurants, against the California figure. Base: 5,412 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

Modesto tracks the California size distribution closely.

Share of establishmentsModestoCaliforniaDifference
Under 5 employeesOwner-operated, often no management layer18.8%23.5%-4.7%
5 to 49 employeesThe range most individual buyers target68.8%62.8%+6.0%
10 or more employeesPractical floor for acquisition financing50.6%52.8%-2.1%

Nearest comparable markets

The closest places to Modesto 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
Ceres15-26%
Riverbank19n/a
Hughson4n/a
Ripon18n/a
Escalon7n/a

The wider Stanislaus County market

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

County establishments (2023)
315
Stanislaus County
County employees
6,131
Mid-March employment
County annual payroll
$161M
All establishments
Full Restaurants data for Stanislaus 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 Modesto

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.