Maine's restaurant and lodging industry tops $3.6 billion
Restaurant and lodging sales in Maine reached another record high last year. The Maine Restaurant Association and the Maine Innkeepers Association said combined sales exceeded $3.6 billion in 2016, a jump of nearly 7% from the previous record in 2015.
Both sectors posted significant increases in 2016:
- $2.6 billion in Maine restaurant sales, representing an increase of more than 6%
- $950 million in Maine lodging sales, up almost 10% from the previous year.
“We are thrilled to see these robust numbers that show Maine’s restaurant and lodging industry is a vibrant one contributing to the state’s economy in a very significant way,” Steve Hewins, president and CEO of the Maine Restaurant Association and the Maine Innkeepers Association, said in a statement
The Bureau of Labor Standards reported that Maine restaurants employed 62,000 workers. Hotels, inns and resorts added another 17,000. The hospitality industry as a whole employs 12% of Maine workers.
Maine’s restaurants and lodgings paid nearly $300 million in annual meal and lodging taxes in 2016.
“The benefits of a strong hospitality industry reach deeply into our economy, support of farmers, fishermen, beverage producers like the craft beer industry, retail establishments and entertainment attractions,” Hewins added.
The Maine Restaurant and Lodging Expo takes place on Wednesday, March 29, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland. More than 120 exhibiting companies have signed up.
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