Virginia Beach Restaurant Group Recruits Members
The Virginia Beach Restaurant Association is actively recruiting new members from the local culinary industry. The association provides networking, advocacy, and resources for restaurant owners and operators. Benefits for members include marketing support and access to industry insights.
- The Virginia Beach restaurant industry is a significant economic driver, with visitors spending nearly $1.1 billion on food and drinks in 2023, contributing to a total tourism economic impact of $3.8 billion. - Membership in the Virginia Beach Restaurant Association (VBRA) includes joint membership with the state-level Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association and the National Restaurant Association. - The annual membership dues for a single restaurant to join the VBRA and its state affiliate are $325. - One of the association's flagship events is Virginia Beach Restaurant Week; the January 2026 event was the largest ever, with 67 participating restaurants. - Local restaurant owners face economic pressures from a rising minimum wage and a combined meal tax rate of 12% as of late 2025. - The city's restaurant landscape includes 1,509 establishments, and the broader tourism industry supports nearly 34,000 jobs, representing 19% of the local workforce. - In response to environmental concerns, many member restaurants are adopting sustainable practices, including sourcing from local farms, composting food waste, and reducing water usage. - The local industry has seen recent shifts, including the closure of a Red Lobster location and the planned conversion of a Bahama Breeze restaurant to another brand as part of a national corporate strategy.
