Analyst Warns of a Restaurant Downturn and Sees Harbinger of U.S. Recession

[Qutzupalotl]

1. Something else that might be affecting the numbers:

Eating habits are changing with new findings in nutrition. A lot of restaurants can't keep up. Portion sizes are usually enormous and you often don't know what type of oils are used, etc. I know I'll never eat fast food again if I can avoid it.

A restaurant downturn could still affect the economy even if it's health-based and not pocketbook-based, since wait staff will get fewer tips and face being downsized. Less money in servers' pockets will dampen overall consumer spending. But I'll watch for other signs of a slowdown before I start to panic.