Local Tax Revenue Derived from Restaurants

One way to monitor the strength of the restaurant sector is to measure the percent of the total local sales tax that is derived from restaurants. The higher this percentage, the strong the restaurant sector. This chart tracks this percentage from 1995 to the present. Note that this percentage was increasing prior to the implementation of the Starkville smoke free ordinance (Marker A), and has continued to grow after the implementation. It should also be noted that Starkville is a college town – tax revenue from restaurants are typically higher during football season and during the Fall and Spring Semesters.