Special food services
NAICS Code: 722300
BLS projects Special food services to grow +5.6% through 2034 - 3.2 points faster than the 2.4% average across 291 U.S. industries, faster-growing than 78% of them. Its trajectory is close to the typical U.S. industry.
Where Special food services sits among all industries
Projected 2024-2034 growth across 291 U.S. industries (BLS). This industry is marked in rose.
Where Special food services sits by projected growth
Projected employment change across tracked industries
5.6% Top 22% higher than 78% of 291 industries
Industries, banded by projected growth
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more industries. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source BLS Employment Projections · 2026-05-15
Expansion read
Signature: 39.4% mean employer AI exposure across 21 tracked public companies .
BLS still projects expansion, but our public-company overlay for this sector is thin - lean on the employment numbers above and open individual employer pages before generalizing AI risk.
NAICS 722300 · 778,300 workers (2024, ×1k) · source BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034. Employer AI grades are occupation-weighted scores from our SEC cohort, not automation predictions for every establishment in Special food services.
Public companies in this NAICS sector
NAICS sector 72 bucket (includes sibling industries). 21 companies scored · mean AI exposure 39.4%.
| Company | AI grade |
|---|---|
| Atour Lifestyle Holdings Ltd | B |
| Boyd Gaming Corp | B |
| Caesars Entertainment, Inc. | B |
| Choice Hotels International Inc /De | B |
| H World Group Ltd | B |
| H&r Block Inc | B |
| Hilton Grand Vacations Inc. | B |
| Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. | B |
Grades are occupation-weighted AI exposure from our employer corpus - not a claim that every establishment in Special food services shares the same risk. Source: SEC company metadata + O*NET-weighted scores · as of 2026-05-15.
Peer Industries by Employment
How Special food services (NAICS 722300) compares to industries of similar size, ordered by 2024 BLS employment.
| Industry | 2024 | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Clothing and clothing accessories retailers | 841,300 | -2.0% |
| Other specialty trade contractors | 805,600 | +5.3% |
| Machinery manufacturing (3331,2,4,9) | 780,200 | +0.3% |
| Special food services | 778,300 | +5.6% |
| Personal care services | 766,900 | +8.9% |
| Professional and commercial equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers | 751,700 | +5.7% |
Peers are selected by similarity in 2024 employment. Figures in thousands. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people work in Special food services?
As of 2024, the Special food services industry employs approximately 778,300 workers in the United States, according to BLS Employment Projections data.
Is Special food services growing or declining?
The Special food services industry is projected to grow by 5.6% from 2024 to 2034, a net change of +43,800 jobs over the decade.
Which public companies sit near Special food services?
21 tracked public companies in NAICS sector 72 (sibling industries included). Sample names include Atour Lifestyle Holdings Ltd, Boyd Gaming Corp, Caesars Entertainment, Inc.. Grades are occupation-weighted AI exposure scores, not company-specific automation forecasts.
How will AI affect the Special food services industry?
Among 21 tracked public companies tied to this industry's sector, the mean occupation-weighted AI exposure score is 39.4% (most common grade B). That is a staffing-pattern signal from our employer corpus, not a forecast for every firm in Special food services. Pair it with occupation-level AI exposure scores for role-specific risk.
Where to look next under expansion
What to do with this
Use Special food services' employment and exposure numbers above to look up individual employers and occupations, not just the industry aggregate.
- See how public employers in this and other industries rank nationwide by AI displacement risk. Employer AI risk rankings
- Browse individual occupations to see exposure and wage detail below the industry level. Browse all occupations
- Compare this industry's outlook against a specific occupation or employer using the interactive tool. Workforce comparison tool
Industry-level figures are aggregates; individual employer and occupation outcomes vary.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034; SEC employer metadata for AI grades Employment figures in thousands. Employer grades are occupation-weighted exposure scores, not firm automation forecasts