Fermi Estimate: Sizing New York's Restaurant Count

Estimate how many restaurants there are in New York. Walk through how you would structure the estimate, state each assumption you make, and arrive at a final number. ```hint Pick a side of the market You can build this from how many restaurant meals people eat in the area, or from how many restaurants there are per person. Whichever you choose, remember that residents are not the only people eating there. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Do you mean New York City or New York State? - What counts as a restaurant: only sit-down places, or also fast-food counters, coffee shops, food-court stalls and delivery-only kitchens? Are food trucks and street carts included? - Is each chain location counted separately, or each brand once? - Do you want a single number, or a range with the assumptions that drive it? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - A stated geography and definition of a restaurant, and how each choice changes the number. - A clear equation, for example demand for restaurant meals divided by the meals a typical restaurant serves. - Round, labeled assumptions for residents, commuters and visitors, with correct arithmetic. - A sanity check through an independent method, and a range that shows which assumption moves the answer most. ### Follow-up Questions - How would your estimate change for the other reading of New York (the state instead of the city, or the reverse)? - If you could use business listings from a maps product, how would you check your number, and what biases would those listings have? - Roughly how many restaurants in New York open each year, and how would you estimate it?