Stretched consumer budgets among low-income consumers are favoring value over lifestyle menus.
A customer orders food at a Chipotle restaurant in San Francisco on April 26, 2022. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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News Analysis
Chipotle’s, CAVA’s, and Sweetgreen’s most recent financial results reveal a challenging summer for America’s favorite office lunch spots. Comparable-store sales have been flat or declining, as competition intensifies, and value meals gain favor over lifestyle menus among consumers with stretched budgets.
Panos Mourdoukoutas
Author
Panos Mourdoukoutas is a professor of economics at Long Island University in New York City. He also teaches security analysis at Columbia University. He’s been published in professional journals and magazines, including Forbes, Investopedia, Barron’s, IBT, and Journal of Financial Research. He’s also the author of many books, including “Business Strategy in a Semiglobal Economy” and “China’s Challenge.”
