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Business phone system for drinking places in Idaho

362 drinking places operated in Idaho in 2023. Where they are, how big their teams are, and what phone service costs them.

Establishments
362CBP 2023
Employees
2,855mid-March 2023
Per 100k residents
18.1U.S. 12.0
State rank
31st of 51by count

Drinking places in Idaho by the numbers

The Census Bureau counted 362 drinking places in Idaho in its 2023 County Business Patterns (NAICS 722410). They employed 2,855 people in mid-March and reported $58.6 million in annual payroll. That is the 31st highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Drinking places make up 0.62% of the 58,100 business establishments in the state.

Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) Idaho has 18.1 drinking places, 50.6% above the national rate of 12.0. The average establishment has 7.9 employees against 10.6 nationally. Payroll per employee is $20,523, 19.9% below the U.S. figure of $25,612.

Drinking places: Idaho compared with the U.S., 2023
MeasureIdahoUnited States
Establishments36240,835
Mid-March employees2,855432,542
Annual payroll$58,592,000$11,078,437,000
Employees per establishment7.910.6
Payroll per employee$20,523$25,612
Establishments per 100,000 residents18.112.0

Census County Business Patterns 2023 (mid-March employment; annual payroll). Employees and payroll flagged high-noise are shown but not used in the text. Residents: Census Vintage 2024 estimates.

Drinking places by metro area in Idaho

Census published bar counts for 16 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of Idaho. The largest is Boise City, ID, with 128 establishments. Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 76% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.

Drinking places by metro or micropolitan area, Idaho, 2023
AreaEstablishmentsEmployeesPer 100k residents
Boise City, ID1281,42815.1
Coeur d'Alene, ID3825220.2
Idaho Falls, ID1811210.5
Pocatello, ID1611417.6
Lewiston, ID-WA15—22.9
Moscow, ID1411033.2
Twin Falls, ID1311110.6
Sandpoint, ID1312124.1
Hailey, ID1110734.3
Ontario, OR-ID105016.7
Mountain Home, ID95330.3
Burley, ID8—16.4
Brigham City, UT-ID6128.7
Jackson, WY-ID67316.6
Rexburg, ID3124.3
Blackfoot, ID3—5.9

Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023; population from Census Vintage 2024 estimates.

Team sizes at drinking places in Idaho

38.6% of Idaho's drinking places with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 38.7% nationally. 73.9% had fewer than ten. That is the size of team where a missed call usually means nobody was free, not that nobody was on staff.

Drinking places in Idaho by employment size, 2023
Employment sizeEstablishmentsShareU.S. share
1–4 employees13938.6%38.7%
5–9 employees12735.3%27.4%
10–19 employees7019.4%20.1%
20–49 employees246.7%11.3%
50 or more employees00.0%2.4%

Employment-size classes count establishments by mid-March 2023 employment. Establishments with no March employees are excluded from the size classes, so shares are of establishments with employees. Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023.

Calls a bar in Idaho has to catch

Bars and taverns take calls about events, private parties and hours, often when the room is too loud to hear the phone. Capturing those calls helps book parties.

Calls a bar in Idaho might handle in a typical week include:

Calls after closing time

Bars are open late, so calls during service need capture and callback.

Callata voicemail is transcribed and triaged for urgency, and business-hours routing decides where calls go once you close.

Callata vs. per-seat pricing for drinking places in Idaho

Drinking places in Idaho average 7.9 employees, so the comparison uses an 8-person team. On a per-user plan that headcount sets the bill: $199.60 a month on Ooma Office Pro or $240.00 on RingCentral RingEX Core at list price (checked September 28, 2026). On Callata the same 8 people cost $159.00 a month, less than either per-seat plan.

The annual difference against RingCentral's monthly list price comes to $972. Some vendors discount annual contracts; the table shows month-to-month prices.

Monthly list price for an 8-person bar
Provider (plan)Pricing basisPer monthPer year
Callata (Callata Office)$99 incl. 5 users, $20 per extra user$159.00$1,908.00
Quo (Starter)$19.00 per user$152.00$1,824.00
Nextiva (Core)$23.00 per user$184.00$2,208.00
Ooma (Office Pro)$24.95 per user$199.60$2,395.20
Dialpad (Standard)$27.00 per user$216.00$2,592.00
RingCentral (RingEX Core)$30.00 per user$240.00$2,880.00

Competitor prices are each vendor's published month-to-month list price per user for its lowest plan that includes business calling and texting, checked September 28, 2026: Quo Starter $19, Nextiva Core $23, Ooma Office Pro $24.95 (Essentials excludes texting; one-time $29.95 activation not included), Dialpad Standard $27, RingCentral RingEX Core $30 ($20 billed annually). Prices exclude taxes and fees and may change; annual contracts lower some competitors' prices.

Area codes in Idaho

Idaho has 2 geographic area codes in service according to NANPA. You can choose local numbers in the area codes your guests know, subject to carrier inventory, or port your current number for free.

Area codes in Idaho by assigned exchanges
Area codeExchangesTime zoneIn service sinceOverlay with
208785Mountain and Pacific1947986
986187Pacific2017208

Exchanges are NANPA-assigned central office codes (NPA-NXX) in the rate centers matched to the area's named places. Source: NANPA utilized code and NPA reports.

How Callata works for drinking places in Idaho

Callata Office costs $99 per month for up to 5 people, and each additional user is $20 a month. That covers up to 3 local numbers, calling from a browser or your cell, transcribed voicemail, recorded calls with AI summaries, after-hours routing and E911 on each number.

If you already have a number in Idaho, porting it to Callata is free. Texting from a local number requires a one-time carrier registration (10DLC, $49), and the numbers available in any area code depend on carrier inventory when you choose them.

Optional AI agents (receptionist, sales, support or scheduler) can answer calls after hours or when nobody picks up, take messages, text, email and transfer to your team. They are billed from prepaid AI minutes at $0.25 per minute, identify themselves as AI, and may only place outbound calls to people who consented, between 8am and 9pm.

Frequently asked questions

How many drinking places are in Idaho?

362 in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns. They employed 2,855 people in mid-March.

Which Idaho metro area has the most drinking places?

Boise City, ID, with 128 establishments in 2023.

What does a phone system cost an 8-person bar?

$240.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core or $199.60 on Ooma Office Pro at month-to-month list prices (checked September 28, 2026); $159.00 on Callata ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user).

Do I need to register to text customers from a Idaho number?

Yes. US carriers require business texting from local numbers to be registered (10DLC). On Callata the registration is a one-time $49 fee, and texting turns on once it is approved.