2025 was a particularly challenging year for restaurant owners from both an operations and business perspective. An uncertain economic landscape complicated by ongoing US trade policy reforms is impacting consumer foodservice. Of particular concern in 2026 are increased immigration and customs enforcement (ICE) activity, and national guard deployments. While immigration reform has been disrupting upstream workers’ lives, affecting labour and supply availability, intensified ICE enforcement has created deeper uncertainty. This has led to a documented reduction of movement in targeted communities, where individuals – regardless of legal status – have avoided public spaces and workplaces during active operations. Affected local markets have seen drops in reservation traffic of more than 20%, as well as drops in tourism, leading to outlet closures amidst an already difficult year.
Consumer foodservice struggles in tough 2025
Following a half decade of recovery and growth from the COVID-19 pandemic lows, the US consumer foodservice industry’s growth has begun to plateau, as the market settles after its previous disruptions.
The article is property of Euromonitor International, a data analytics company, and you can find it here.
