Cast-Iron Appetites: Consumer Resiliency and Dining Out in America

Though the restaurant industry managed to mostly survive the pandemic years by tacking away from in-person dining towards deliveries, drive-through, and curbside pickups, persistent inflation now poses a growing challenge. Although American consumers have thus far adapted to the rising cost of dining out better than many anticipated, persistent inflation has investors wondering whether restaurant growth might begin to be affected more substantially. Using occam data, we explore the delicate balance between the industry’s desire to transfer cost increases to customers and the need to maintain and grow demand.