Hit Business Ideas

Coffee shops and snack bars / Connecticut

How many coffee shops and snack bars are in Connecticut?

The Census Bureau counted 1,158 coffee shops and snack bars with paid employees in Connecticut in 2023. That is 8.6% more than in 2017.

CONNECTICUT · 2023

The count

1,158

coffee shops and snack bars with paid employees

Employees
14,998
Average per site
13.0
Change since 2017
+8.6%
State rank
22 of 51

What the number means

Connecticut had 1,158 coffee shops and snack bars in 2023, ranking number 22 among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Together they employed 14,998 people and paid $309 million in annual payroll, an average of 13.0 employees per site.

These businesses make up 1.30% of every employer establishment in Connecticut, above the 1.02% national share. A site count is not the same as the number of companies: a chain with 40 locations counts 40 times.

31% of coffee shops and snack bars in Connecticut have fewer than 5 employees, against 33% across the U.S.

Connecticut holds 1.4% of the nation's coffee shops and snack bars and 1.1% of all U.S. employer establishments, so, measured against the state's overall size, the trade is over-represented. The most common size class is under 5 employees (364 sites). Average payroll per employee is $20,617, against $21,205 for the U.S. trade.

Size of the businesses

Coffee shops and snack bars in Connecticut by number of employees, 2023
Employees per siteShareSitesShare
Under 536431.5%
5 to 921418.5%
10 to 1932828.4%
20 to 4923520.3%
50 to 99141.2%
100 to 24900.0%
250 to 49900.0%

Count since 2017

1002017201920222023Connecticut 109U.S. 131

Index: 2017 = 100. Employer establishments only. 2017 count 1,066; 2019 count 1,071; 2022 count 1,144; 2023 count 1,158. Employment +3.7% since 2017.

Biggest other trades in Connecticut

TradeSitesEmployeesSince 2017
Full-service restaurants3,48458,365+2.1%
Landscaping services2,17010,103+5.2%
Plumbing and HVAC contractors1,31810,964+3.4%
Beauty salons1,0495,521−10.5%
Child day care94816,532+0.6%
General auto repair9084,455−6.1%
Janitorial services66316,179−1.5%
Fitness centers57811,064−3.2%

Coffee shops and snack bars in nearby ranks

StateSitesRank
Indiana1,27819
Wisconsin1,24320
Missouri1,20621
Minnesota1,09523
Maryland1,07824
Louisiana1,01425

All states for coffee shops and snack bars · Every trade in Connecticut

Questions

How many coffee shops and snack bars are in Connecticut?

The Census Bureau's County Business Patterns counted 1,158 coffee shops and snack bars with paid employees in Connecticut in 2023. That ranks Connecticut number 22 among the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Is the number of coffee shops and snack bars in Connecticut growing?

Between 2017 and 2023 the count grew (8.6%), from 1,066 to 1,158. Across the United States the count changed by +31.0% over the same period. These years include the 2020 pandemic.

Does this count include self-employed owners with no staff?

No. County Business Patterns covers establishments with at least one paid employee. A sole proprietor with no employees is counted in a separate Census series called Nonemployer Statistics, which this site does not use yet, so the real number of people working in this trade is higher than the figure shown.

Read this before using the number

These counts describe how many businesses already exist. They say nothing about demand, profit, competition near you or how much any owner earns, and we make no estimate of income. Check local licensing, costs and rules before acting on any figure here. See the disclaimer.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns (2023; change measured against 2017, 2019 and 2022). Establishments with paid employees only; employment and payroll carry Census noise infusion. Retrieved November 2, 2026. Method and sources.