This Is the Best Restaurant Business to Start in Maine

As we head into 2025, which types of restaurant businesses are the most competitive here in Maine? We certainly need more up here!

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In a world where more food options mean more reasons to celebrate, we're never going to complain about having too many great places to eat. Plus, there’s nothing wrong with a little friendly competition – it just makes everyone raise the bar.

So, with that in mind, who determines which restaurant businesses are the most and least competitive in our Pine Tree State?

Matt Pelkey from the small business lending company OnDeck recently shared a study highlighting ‘The Least Competitive Food Business Market by State.’ This study explores which restaurant cuisines face the most and least competition across the U.S. OnDeck analyzed data on the density of various food business types in each state and major city, comparing it to national averages. The findings reveal where specific cuisines have the best chance of standing out with less competition.

With that clarified, how exactly is OnDeck identifying these nationwide and state-by-state rankings?

OnDeck’s report on the least and most competitive types of restaurants to open in 2025 analyzed 32 restaurant types across 502 major U.S. cities. For each type, they collected the number of establishments and calculated how many exist per 100,000 residents, giving the density of each type in each city. They then compared each location’s density to the national average. This allowed them to identify the most competitive markets (where density is highest above the average) and least competitive markets (where density is lowest).

Now that we’ve covered that, which restaurant business model might be the best for you to open in 2025?

According to OnDeck's report, ‘Uncovering the Least and Most Competitive Types of Restaurants to Open in 2025,’ Korean restaurants are projected to face the least competition in Maine and in 12 other states across the U.S.

What are your thoughts on Korean restaurants being ranked as the least competitive type to open in Maine? We could always use more! We’d love to hear from you—join the conversation by messaging us on the app!